The narrator of the poem acts as an enthusiastic observer and conductor of the speakeasy scene. Acting like a classical poet calling upon the Muses, the speaker commands the musicians to play. The narrator interprets the emotional and physical environments created by the music, moving from loud urban chaos to quiet natural observation.

The jazzmen are street musicians or speakeasy performers playing a mix of traditional and makeshift instruments, including saxophones, banjos, tin pans, and sandpaper. They serve as modern mythological figures. They bring life and deep emotional resonance to the urban environment through their improvised performances.

The motorcycle cop is a figure in the music's imagery, chasing down a speeding racing car. The sound of his gun mirrors the sharp, explosive crashing of the musicians' drums and traps in the jazz club.

A driver of a racing car, possibly a bootlegger, attempting to evade a pursuing motorcycle cop. This figure embodies the wild, desperate, and urgent cries of the jazz music played in the speakeasy.

Two patrons in the speakeasy or honky-tonk who are driven to fight by the intense energy of the jazzmen's performance. They scratch at each other's eyes while falling down the stairs. They physically manifest the rough and chaotic energy of the music before the speaker calls for a shift in tone.