Speaker

Definition:

A speaker in a poem is the imaginary voice a poet uses when writing a poem. The speaker is the character who tells the poem, and does not have to be the author of the poem.

Example:

“The turquoise pool rose up to meet us,
its slide a silver afterthought down which
we plunged, screaming, into a mirage of bubbles.
We did not exist beyond the gaze of a boy.”
--"The Summer When I Was Sixteen" by Geraldine Connolly

'I' is the speaker in this poem, most likely the writer.

Significance:

 The speaker in a poem is important because it helps the reader to identify who is telling the "story" and understand more about the poem.