The speaker of the elegy is a thoughtful, grieving poet struggling to reconcile his profound personal loss with his Christian faith. Reeling from the sudden death of his closest friend, he faces deepening melancholy, the indifferent forces of nature, and the challenging new discoveries of geology and evolutionary science. He uses the methodical composition of poetry as a mechanical exercise to process his intense emotional turmoil.

A promising young poet and the dearest friend of Tennyson, who dies unexpectedly at the age of 22 from a cerebral hemorrhage. His sudden death in 1833 leaves a massive void in the poet's life and prompts a decades-long philosophical inquiry into mortality. He is remembered as vibrant, deeply loved, and possessing a spirit that the poet feels continues to resonate in the rolling air and natural world.

The omnipotent Creator whom the poet aggressively questions throughout his mourning process. Initially viewed through a lens of skepticism due to the brutal realities of death and the vast, indifferent timelines suggested by new scientific discoveries, God stands at the center of the poet's search for cosmic meaning and ultimate consolation.

A personified entity that serves as the poet's constant, heavy companion in the immediate aftermath of Hallam's death. Initially indulging the poet's vast grief, Sorrow whispers that the natural world is cruel and indifferent, attempting to keep the poet from accessing genuine spiritual comfort by insisting that death renders all love meaningless.

The poet's sister and Arthur Hallam's former fiancée. Her initial grief over losing her future husband parallels the poet's own sorrow, but she eventually moves forward to embrace new love. She possesses a simple, unaffected affection and maintains a resolute faith, advising her brother that his prolonged spiritual doubts are dangerous.

Addressed in the prologue of the poet's sprawling elegy. Christ represents the traditional promise of resurrection and divine love, though the grieving poet initially directs stinging, honest questions at him regarding the perceived cruelty of a life that must end in death. He is associated closely with the biblical story of Lazarus.

The man Emilia Tennyson marries years after the initial tragedy. His genuine affection for Emilia provides a living counterpoint to the grief of the grave. The wedding celebration he shares with Emilia acts as the ultimate catalyst for the poet to fully embrace life, love, and community once again.