The Buck
The buck is most notable for his elusive unknowability, which fascinates the speaker. When he is alive, the speaker watches him run out of sight into the woods, refusing to be seen for more than a moment. After dying, though he is physically still, he is no more understandable. For one thing, he embodies death itself, with all of its mystery and unreachability. Furthermore, the speaker refers to his "wild blood," noting that he is fundamentally a wild animal. The poem never attempts to describe the buck's motives or ascribe human-like characteristics to him. Instead, it is his foreignness that is emphasized here, a constant during his life as well as his death.
The Doe
The doe is much like the buck for the first half of the poem. She, like her mate, eludes the speaker's gaze by running away into the woods. In the second half of the poem, following the buck's death, she takes on a different role, one complimentary to the buck's. While he embodies death, she embodies life. But just as the buck evades easy understanding in death, she does so when alive. The speaker imagines that she has moved deeper into the woods, away from the attention of others. Moreover, the speaker describes life as emanating from the doe's own eyes. Thus the gaze of the speaker is put aside, while the doe's own gaze is foregrounded. Once again, this animal is described, not as someone who can be consumed through viewership or personification, but as a viewer in her own right, whose experiences are known only to herself.
The Speaker
The speaker's identity in terms of factors like age, gender, or occupation is left unstated. They do appear to live in or be spending time in a rural area, with an apple orchard and woods. They are interested in the mystery of life and death, and in particular are intrigued by the way in which these two states can coexist and interact. However, the speaker's interest is marked by a removed, meditative stance. They seem to watch from a distance, deeply observant and moved by what they see, but more interested in exploring questions than finding answers or solutions. It is through the speaker's restrained attitude that the buck and the doe are able to remain unknown and elusive: the speaker appreciates them as mysteries, rather than seeking to entirely understand them.
