The relationship between the two speakers is never made entirely explicit. Aspects of their rapport seem to be modelled after the well-known duo of Dante and Virgil, the central characters of Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy. Dante is a pilgrim on a spiritual quest with his friend, guide, and fellow poet Virgil offering him advice and information along the way. Similarly, the questioner in this poem is set on a spiritual road and receives information by a guide who characterizes the relationship as a kind of friendship.
