The personified subject of the poem represents the deep, mournful sounds of traditional Andalusian cante jondo flamenco music. The instrument cries out continuously for distant, unattainable things, much like a grieving human. It acts as a vessel for profound, universal sorrow and longing that refuses to be quieted by any outside force.

The narrator of the poem serves as a close observer of the guitar's relentless sorrow. Acting as a witness to the instrument's emotional outpouring, the speaker grounds the intense emotion of the music by translating the flamenco sound into vivid imagery. This voice shifts from passive narration to direct address to offer comfort to the suffering instrument.

A personified element of nature used to illustrate the relentless nature of the guitar's cries. Water represents both the production of tears and a necessary, life-sustaining force that quenches the thirst of the hot southern sands. It symbolizes the universal, borderless act of grieving.

Another personified natural force that mirrors the guitar's sorrow. The wind cries out across harsh, barren environments, reflecting the far-reaching desolation expressed by the flamenco music. It reinforces the idea that the emotional outpouring of the song is as natural and unstoppable as the weather.