The speaker is an English expatriate resting in Italy who receives a profound, poetic vision while he sleeps. Through this dream, he walks in the visions of poetry and witnesses a grotesque parade of allegorical figures marching toward London. He acts as the passive observer who recounts the violence of the ruling class and the eventual awakening of the English soil.

Anarchy is a pale, skeletal figure wearing a kingly crown and gold-woven robe. Carrying a scepter, he loudly declares himself to be God, King, and Law. He leads a violent mob across the English countryside toward London, demanding adoration from the panic-stricken masses while instructing his enslaved followers to seize the Bank and Tower.

Murder is a grotesque vice figure who participates in the allegorical takeover of England. He cares nothing for the common people, happily tossing human hearts for his seven loyal bloodhounds to chew. His presence physically manifests the government's willingness to sacrifice its own citizens' lives for political gain.

Fraud is a deceptive vice figure who marches toward London in a gown adorned with weasel fur. He puts on a false display of sympathy by weeping large tears that he passes off as precious gems. When small children gather at his feet to collect them, the tears turn into heavy mill-stones and violently knock out their brains.

Hypocrisy is a corrupt allegorical figure who bears the likeness of Viscount Sidmouth. He wraps himself in the moral righteousness of the Bible to hide his true, destructive nature. He easily disguises himself as bishops, lawyers, and peers to infiltrate social institutions and participate in the violent masquerade.

Hope is a wandering woman who appears as Anarchy's mob takes over the streets of London. Though she represents a positive virtue, the dire situation in England has left her looking far more like Despair. She wanders weakly through the chaos, expressing deep frustration over the continuous suffering of the people before throwing herself into the street in front of the advancing horses.

The English Land is the personified, indignant soil of the nation that awakens in response to the violence inflicted upon its people. Transforming into a winged, armored shape, it speaks with a powerful voice to the panic-stricken masses. It acts as a mother figure to the citizens, delivering a passionate rallying cry for nonviolent resistance and a demand for freedom, fair legal justice, and basic necessities like food and shelter.

Time is an allegorical figure and the father of Hope. He has grown weak and grey from enduring a long, agonizing wait for a better day to arrive in England. His exhaustion mirrors the suffering of the English citizens.