The speaker is a 20th-century African American individual living in a predominantly white, "civilized" society. They are contemplative and deeply conflicted, torn between their orderly Christian life in America and the repressed grief and anger they associate with their distant African heritage. Their daily life is haunted by internal sensations and a profound sense of racial identity.

The central figure of the speaker's Christian faith, traditionally depicted in America as white. He represents the Anglo-American religious traditions of meekness and patience. For the speaker, following His teachings requires suppressing the historical anger and sorrow tied to the African American experience.

An imagined, culturally resonant version of the divine fashioned by the speaker. Unlike the traditional white Jesus of the twice-turned cheek, this figure shares the physical features and historical pain of Black people. His patience is not infinite, allowing for righteous anger in response to suffering and injustice.

The speaker's distant forebears, described as "strong bronzed men" and "regal Black women." They represent a mythological and historical past, existing in a state of freedom centuries before their descendants were forced from their native environment and sold into slavery.

A pair of young humans making love in the wild forest, unconstrained by civilization or formal religion. They pledge their loyalty beneath the sky, representing the raw passion and exuberance that the speaker feels pressured to repress in modern American society.