Emily is a 19th-century American poet living in Amherst, Massachusetts. Though she enjoys parties and sleigh rides in her youth, she gradually limits her face-to-face interactions as she grows older. She stays connected to the outside world through a rigorous letter-writing practice while secretly drafting approximately 1,800 poems on envelopes, bills, and scraps of paper.

Austin is Emily's older brother, raised in the prominent Dickinson family of Amherst, Massachusetts. He is married to Susan Gilbert, though his personal life eventually includes an extended relationship outside his marriage.

The Speaker is the lively, mysterious voice behind Dickinson's poem. They possess a cheeky and slightly irreverent personality, advising others on when to rely on spiritual belief versus scientific prudence. The Speaker lacks an avowed gender and uses emphatic punctuation to convey their message.

Lavinia is Emily's younger sister and a lifelong resident of the Dickinson household. She plays a crucial practical role in literary history by discovering the locked box containing her sister's extensive, unpublished body of work.

Susan is married to Austin Dickinson and serves as an important figure in Emily's emotional life. She receives intense affection and correspondence from Emily, leading to later historical speculation about the exact nature of their bond.

Edward is Emily's father, a successful lawyer, and a politician. His steady position as treasurer for Amherst College from 1835 to 1837 ensures that his children never have to work for financial support.

Emily Norcross is a homemaker who manages the Dickinson residence. She comes from a thriving family of farmers and marries into the prominent Dickinson family.

Samuel is a prominent lawyer and politician who lays the foundation for the family's prestige. He helps found both Amherst Academy and Amherst College.

Thomas is an established writer and a leader of a regiment of Black Union soldiers during the Civil War. He receives several of Emily's poems in the mail but expresses lukewarm reactions to her unusual style.

Mabel is a writer and artist heavily involved in the Dickinson family sphere. She eventually takes on the monumental task of transcribing and editing over 600 of Emily's poems, altering her unique punctuation to make the poetry more accessible to standard readers.

Josiah is a newspaperman who works at the largest publication in New England. He serves as an important external contact for Emily, allowing her to stay connected to current events and intellectual thought from her home.

Samuel is an editor at the primary New England newspaper during Emily's lifetime. His robust correspondence with the poet provides her with ongoing intellectual stimulation.

The Gentlemen represent the men of the era, historically viewed as the arbitrators of knowledge and authority. The poem treats them with a mix of irony and instruction, suggesting they are fallible humans who need guidance on perception and when to rely on microscopes.