The speaker serves as the passionate, mortal voice of the poem who accepts the reality of death to better appreciate his current life. He feels biologically and spiritually connected to all of humanity, carrying the shared pulse of past generations in his own veins. Rather than falling into despair over his inevitable end, he uses his awareness of the grave to urge himself to live boldly.

A collective presence representing the ancestors, past generations, and the dead who have left their biological imprint on the living. This group encompasses historical humanity, including fathers, sisters, plague-stricken children, and young lovers. Their legacy survives directly in the bone and blood of the speaker, embodying the shared mortality of the human race.