The speaker of the poem is an Irish writer and casual acquaintance of the rebels. He encounters them in the streets of Dublin, exchanging polite but meaningless words and occasionally joking about them at his club. Following the six-day rebellion, he struggles to understand his complex emotional response to their violent methods and their ultimate sacrifices.

A nationalist Irish politician whom the speaker remembers from her youth as beautiful and sweet-voiced while riding horses. In the present, she spends her time in intense political arguments, causing her voice to grow shrill. She represents the intense, unyielding dedication of the republican movement.

An Irish republican leader, teacher, and poet. The speaker acknowledges his profession and talents, musing that he could have achieved fame and continued to give back to his community had he not devoted himself entirely to the rebellion.

A poet and republican who assists Patrick Pearse. The speaker notes that he is just coming into his own force and possesses a sensitive nature with daring, sweet thoughts, emphasizing the artistic potential lost to the political cause.

An Irish republican figure whom the speaker deeply dislikes for having committed a bitter wrong against someone close to his heart. Despite this intense personal animosity, he is permanently altered by his participation in the Rising, earning a reluctant place in the speaker's elegy.

An Irish nationalist who shares a profound bond with the speaker over their heritage, politics, and interest in the occult. She is the former wife of John MacBride, and the bitter wrong done to her fuels the speaker's resentment toward her ex-husband.

An Irish republican leader executed by the British following the rebellion. The speaker writes out his name in verse to ensure his memory and historical impact are permanently recorded.