John Keats is a prominent English Romantic poet who abandons his medical training at Guy's Hospital to pursue writing. He loses his parents at a young age and later struggles with his own deteriorating health due to tuberculosis. He writes reflective, highly emotional poetry heavily inspired by classical antiquity and the natural world.

The Speaker is the first-person narrative voice of the poem who observes the ancient artifacts on display. He feels crushed by the realization of his own physical fragility when confronted with these ancient, enduring artworks. He views himself as a sick eagle and finds a bittersweet comfort in weeping over his temporary existence.

Lord Elgin is a British diplomat who serves as the seventh earl of Elgin in the early 19th century. He directs his agents to remove well-preserved sculptures from the Parthenon in Athens between 1801 and 1812. He displays the collection in London, sparking intense and lasting historical debate over the ethics of his acquisition.

Leigh Hunt is a literary critic and prominent figure in the English Romantic movement. He recognizes the potential in John Keats early on and offers him vital support after his first poetry volume fails. He attempts to integrate the young poet into his wider circle of famous contemporary writers.

Percy Bysshe Shelley is a prominent second-generation English Romantic poet who runs in elite literary circles. He takes a strong interest in the ancient world, drawing inspiration from Egypt for his own writing. His privileged social standing causes John Keats to feel highly uncomfortable around him.

Thomas Keats is John Keats's father. He dies from a sudden skull fracture when his son is only eight years old. His early passing initiates a long period of profound tragedy in his young son's life.

Frances Keats is John Keats's mother. She leaves her four children in the care of their grandmother after falling fatally ill with tuberculosis.

Charles Armitage Brown is a friend of John Keats who provides the poet with housing. Keats stays at his property between 1818 and 1819, a period that yields some of the poet's most famous and enduring works.

Frances Fanny Brawne is a young woman who becomes involved with John Keats during the most creatively significant period of his life. She accepts his proposal of marriage before his health begins to rapidly decline.

Lord Byron is a highly famous English Romantic poet belonging to the same literary generation as John Keats. He runs in an elite circle organized around Leigh Hunt, contributing to the social environment that makes Keats feel isolated.

William Wordsworth is an older, established poet whose work heavily shapes the younger generation of Romantics. In person, his highly conservative nature alienates John Keats during their interactions.

Phidias is an ancient Greek architect and sculptor whose workshop created the Parthenon Marbles in the middle of the fifth century BCE. His physical creations outlast him by millennia, ultimately ending up in a London museum.