Bob (‘Sestina’)
Bob is the main topic of discussion throughout this poem. He is described as being an English professor who seems to have it all, as he has also been blessed with good looks which leads to a lot of female attention. He is the envy of the speaker, who seems to want to be him.
Speaker (‘Sestina’)
The Speaker is not described in this poem by their appearance or gender; however, they do compare themselves to the elusive Bob in a way that makes them appear to be the complete opposite. The Speaker also goes on to voice the many insecurities they have, and how it compares to the effortless nature of Bob.
Ex-girlfriend (‘Sestina’)
Since this character is only labelled in third-person terms, such as ‘’She’, or ‘Her', not much is revealed about Bob’s ex-girlfriend. It seems that the Speaker is envious of the relationship they had and perhaps wishes he had a partner like the ex-girlfriend.
