The narrator is a contemplative individual living at Arrowhead in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Heavily influenced by romantic literature and classical mythology, he views his environment through a lens of grand imagination. He builds a piazza on the north side of his home to gaze at Mount Greylock and daydream about the mysterious lights he sees in the distance.

Marianna is a pale, lonely young woman living in a secluded, decaying cottage on the slopes of Mount Greylock. Cut off from regular society, she spends her days sewing and looking out her window at the distant valleys. She longs for connection and imagines the houses below are filled with happiness.

He is the brother of Marianna and the only other resident of the remote, low-storied cottage nestled among the rocks. He lives an isolated existence away from the rest of society, sharing in the harsh conditions of mountain life with his sister.

This elderly sheep occupies the pastoral fields near the base of Mount Greylock. He serves as an early natural guide for the narrator during his journey toward the golden window.

These brightly colored birds live on the mountainside. The narrator views them as mystical pilots leading him closer to his destination, though they simply exist as part of the natural environment.