The Canonization Characters

An aged lover who speaks passionately about the purity and holiness of his love. He addresses those who criticize him, insisting they mind their own business. He believes his love is spiritual, harmless, and so profound that it merges him and his beloved into one soul. He considers himself and his beloved to be saints of love.

The woman whom the speaker loves deeply and unconditionally. She does not speak directly in the poem but is revealed through the speaker's devoted words. She is portrayed as his ideal and equal partner, symbolised by the dove in the pairing of the eagle and the dove. Together with the speaker, she forms the mythical phoenix, representing their transcendent and unified love.

The person or group of people whom the speaker directly addresses at the opening of the poem. They represent society at large, those who mock, question, or disapprove of the speaker's love. The speaker firmly rebukes them, urging them to withhold their judgment. They serve as a symbolic stand-in for worldly criticism and social scrutiny.