Minerva Jones
The unfortunate titular character and first-person-narrator of the second poem in the anthology
She describes her physical appearance as unattractive. Not only is she overweight, but she is also afflicted with a lazy eye and a somewhat uneasy, heavy walk, all of which makes her a target of ridicule and heckling for the brutes on the streets.
Minerva implies that her entire life was characterized by ridicule and mockery when she states how she has “thirsted so for love” (l. 11).
While Minerva is the self-styled “village poetess” (l. 1) and has published her work in the village newspaper, she has not had any success outside of her village. Whether or not she has tried is not stated but she herself claims to have always “hungered so for life” (l. 12), and yearns for her poetry to be published in a book after her death. The fact that she has no one to name to do this for her, but asks the reader further stresses her loneliness.
“Butch” Weldy
Minerva Jones finds her demise at the hands of a man called “Butch” Weldy.
The use of a nickname suggests that she has known him before, or that he is a known figure in the village, and he is likely one of the men who has repeatedly heckled her on the streets.
His nickname already implies a brutish and merciless nature (his actual first name is never revealed) and this is also reflected in the brutal manner of her death. Minerva calls it a “hunt” (l. 5) which implies that she unsuccessfully tried to fight him or at least flee, before he left her to die at the hands of the village’s doctor.
Sarah Brown
The titular character and first person narrator of the third poem in the anthology
Sarah Brown speaks to her lover Maurice to console him after her death. Unlike the other people of the village, she was not buried on the hill, but under a “pine tree” (l. 1). This already suggests that her life or her death were unapproved of by the village and her corpse was not allowed to be buried at the village’s cemetery.
Sarah has had a lover, even though she was married and states to have loved both equally. She describes her husband as a “good heart” (l. 6) and urges Maurice to meet up with him and for both men to make their peace.
She explicitly states that her husband disapproved of her extramarital affair and implies that this affair was the reason for her death, though it is not clear in what way. She takes the blame for her death upon herself, stating that the fact that she loved both men “wrought out [her] destiny” (l. 9).
Sarah describes the state of being dead as wonderful and full of passion and consoles her lover with the fact that she is happy in death. Through death she has achieved the peace of mind that she has lacked in life because there “is no marriage in heaven” (l. 11). This implies that Sarah was feeling guilty for her love in life because she believed in the sanctity of marriage, but has been freed of this earthly morality in heaven.
Herbert Marshall
The titular character and first person narrator of the fourth poem in the anthology
Herbert Marshall was unhappily married to his wife Louise, whose clinginess made him leave her. He claims that his wife made him responsible for her happiness and that this expectation was too much for him.
Despite his unhappy marriage, the last lines of the poem show that Herbert does believe that happiness ultimately is only achieved in a relationship. He has a mistress, or a new relationship with a woman called Annabelle, but it is implied that in this relationship he is the one whose sole happiness relies on Annabelle.
Mrs. Charles Bliss
The titular character and first person narrator of the last poem in the anthology
Mrs. Charles Bliss is an unhappily married woman with four children. In an instance of irony the reader never learns her actual name. The poem only introduces her as the wife of a man called Charles Bliss, even though she yearns to be divorced from him. The name “Bliss” is ironic itself as her situation is anything but blissful.
Before the situation described in the poem, Mrs. Bliss and Mr. Bliss have individually sought out advice about a potential divorce and both have been advised against it for the sake of their children. While her husband talked to the local judge, showing his more practical side, Mrs. Bliss spoke to the reverend, implying that she is more concerned about the morality rather than legality of the situation.
She never explicitly blames her husband for the unhappiness in their marriage, but states how both sides have their supporters. This implies that the failing of their marriage was not the fault of one side’s behavior but because of the forced cohabitation of two ill-matched people.
While she concedes to the given advice she is very unhappy with the situation and asks herself (and the reader) if an unhappy home without love between the parents really is a better place to grow up for her children.
However, the fact that she is still following the advice despite being convinced that it is not the best solution for her children, shows that ultimately she cares more about societal acceptance and does not wish to become an outcast.
