Wilfred Owen is a young English poet and soldier from Shropshire who serves on the Western front. Raised in a religious household, he begins to question the doctrines of the Church of England after witnessing the horrors of trench warfare and the church's vocal support of the conflict. He channels his traumatic experiences into writing brutally honest poetry about the cruelty of modern combat and the heavy toll it takes on young soldiers.

Siegfried Sassoon is a soldier and poet who is seven years older than Owen. He actively protests the conflict, having formally told his commanding officer that the defensive war has changed into an unjust war of aggression and conquest. He writes bitingly ironic poetry that attacks the church, government, and military generals for their roles in the ongoing carnage.

Susan Owen is a mother living in England who maintains a steady correspondence with her son during his military service. She serves as his primary confidante when he begins to express deep doubts about his religious upbringing. She waits at home for news from the front lines, representing the anxious, patient families of soldiers fighting abroad.

Thomas Owen works as a railway station master to support his wife and four children. He moves his family from Shropshire to Birkenhead and later to Shrewsbury, providing a stable, working-class background for his eldest son before the outbreak of the war.