The Narrator
Richard Church, the narrator of his own poems, has a distinct voice and a curious view about the world. He alternates between beautiful descriptions praising the transcendent qualities of Life ("The Flood of Life," "The Month of March," "The Pond," "Wild Roses"), and warnings about its negative elements and their consequences ("Be Frugal," "Twentieth-Century Psalter," "Rondel of Regret," "Sonnet"). He spends much time dwelling upon the beauty of Nature, but unlike the Romantic poets, he rarely praises them for their own sake - they are beautiful because of the qualities that point beyond themselves to something greater (somewhat like the movement of Transcendentalism). The narrator is an experienced source of wisdom, teaching the reader to appreciate beauty and shun emptiness.
His Beloved
Many of Church's poems are romantic in nature, addressed to a person (or several different people) he calls his Beloved. Church himself was married three different times, so it's unlikely that the Beloved remains the same through all of his poetry. Regardless, she is an important character, appearing in many of his poems. Some poems, like "A Goodnight," are exhilarated portraits of intimacy that yet hold a cautionary note, while others, including "Anniversary," look back sweetly on past experience and further into the beautiful future.
Death
Through many of his poems, Church characterizes Death. In his characterization, Death is a cruelly objective force that tears away adornment to reveal the true nature of things, and in that sense can be a force for good as well. This portrait is especially clear in the poem "Sonnet," which calls Death "The master whose hard laws enfold / These fair embellishments, whose cruel breath / Withers away this outward loveliness / Wherein we seek for truth and all that makes / Us one with the wide infinite; no less, / No more: and what we build therefrom, Death breaks!"
Hope
An antagonist to cruel Death, Church presents Hope as a young, beautiful maiden whose undying spirit yet wavers in the face of tragedy. In "Spring," he writes, "Now I perceive upon the throne of life / The young queen Hope, crowned by the sacred hand / Of Peace." In "Summer," he explains the function of Hope: she is brave through winter, and in Spring she is exuberant, Summer brings the sorest trial of all: disappointment. Despite this, Hope is a compelling and inspiring character.
God
Church references God in many of his poems as the Creator and Master of Life. His poems sometimes take the form of prayers or appeals to God, while others attempt to explicate certain aspects of His Nature. Through the ups and downs of Church's poetry, God is the great backdrop holding the framework together.
