Pablo Neruda is a self-proclaimed atheist and materialist whose poetry reflects heavily on the loss of his animal companion. Living on the sea-facing commune of Isla Negra, he experiences a hopeless, self-conscious existence that he frequently compares to the joyful life his pet lived. Though he rejects the idea of a traditional heaven for human beings, his profound grief forces him to imagine a special paradise for his departed friend. He views the animal not merely as a subordinate pet, but as an independent being who understands how to live fully.

Chu-Tuh is a Chow and the poet's deceased pet, remembered as a vibrant, independent creature with a shaggy coat and a fan-like tail. Unlike humans, he lived fully in the present, jumping in the surf of Isla Negra and experiencing autonomous joy without shame or self-consciousness. He maintained an aloof but genuine friendship with his owner, providing companionship without ever being servile or overly affectionate. He represents an ideal, uncomplicated way of living that his human counterpart envies.

Malva is the daughter of Pablo Neruda and Marijke Vogelzang. She dies of tuberculosis at the age of nine, an event that significantly contributes to the lifetime of grief her father expresses in his later poetry. Her passing is one of the profound losses that the poet mourns through the elegy for his dog.

Federico is an activist and fellow poet who shares a close friendship with Pablo Neruda. His execution during the turbulent years surrounding the Spanish Civil War serves as a major source of grief for Neruda. The loss of friends like Federico informs the heavy, melancholic tone of Neruda's later elegies.

Marijke is Pablo Neruda's first wife and the mother of their daughter, Malva Reyes. She marries the poet in 1930, though the couple eventually divorces before the events of his later life in Isla Negra.

Delia marries Pablo Neruda following his divorce from his first wife, Marijke Vogelzang. She enters his life prior to the death of his daughter and his later political exile.

Gabriel is the President of Chile who implements increasingly right-wing political policies. His political shifts prompt Pablo Neruda to write an open letter denouncing him, which ultimately leads to the poet's exile from Chile in 1948.