The Snowman
The Snowman is not mentioned by name except in the title of this poem. The poem simply describes a nameless person as 'one,' who can be interpreted as being the aforementioned snowman. He 'must have a mind of winter,' because he 'regard[s] the frost and the boughs of the pine-trees crusted with snow.' This implies that his time to thrive is Winter, when others are hidden away in the warmth. This is emphasized in the remark 'and have been cold a long time,' used to describe the feelings of this unnamed figure. It is suggested that the snowman doesn't 'think of any misery in the sound of the wind,' as others might during the winter months. The figure is also described as a 'listener, who listens in the snow,' which sets a scene of isolation, stillness and solitude, since snow often brings a certain quietness with it that blankets the air. Finally, the loneliness of the snowman is also emphasized, in that he, 'beholds nothing that is not there and nothing that is.'
The Reader in "The House Was Quiet and The World Was Calm"
The reader is nameless in this poem, but is described as immersed in the book they read, for example, in the metaphor 'the reader became the book.' The reader 'leaned above the page, wanted to lean, wanted much most to be the scholar to whom his book is true.' This portrays the reader as a curious character and a creative one - a character that understands books on an intellectual and imaginative level and appreciates their authorship.
The Emperor of Ice Cream
In this poem, the only direct description of the Emperor is in the repeated line 'The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream.' This line suggests that only this particular emperor, entitled specifically as ruler of ice-cream, is an emperor at all. There is only one of him and only one emperor role: his.
The character and position of the Emperor of Ice-Cream is reflected in the actions and commands presented in the rest of the poem, for example, calling in 'the roller of big cigars, the muscular one,' seems an extensive effort to make 'curds' to please the emperor. There are also many references to women covering themselves, which could show the women's desire for the Emperor, his desire for them or simply the women's desire for ice-cream.
