The unnamed narrator of the poem serves as an observer and guide to the world. Functioning as a figure of high imagination, the speaker documents the fragmented, mysterious reality of modern life through thirteen distinct perspectives. The speaker possesses a fluid identity, occasionally comparing their mind to a tree and freely crossing boundaries between objective observation and personal reflection.

An elusive and omnipresent bird that serves as the central focal point for the speaker's observations. The blackbird moves dynamically through different environments, whirling in autumn winds, walking around women's feet, and sitting in cedar limbs. It possesses a flexible identity, functioning as a symbol of the natural world, mystery, and potentially divine or transgressive knowledge.

Residents of a Connecticut town who fixate on fantasies of "golden birds." They represent a lack of robust imagination and an inability to perceive the complex reality directly in front of them. The speaker characterizes them as weak in spirit and overly preoccupied with material wealth.

A traveler moving through the Connecticut countryside who experiences a sudden moment of terror. When he sees the shadow of his own carriage, he misinterprets the dark shape as a flock of blackbirds. He represents human vulnerability and the fear that arises from a mysterious, fluid world.

An unnamed couple who share a deep, unifying connection. The boundaries between these two humans dissolve into a single entity. They merge further with the natural world when the blackbird is included in their union.

Figures associated with brothels and pleasant sounds who react intensely to the sight of blackbirds in nature. Their sudden, sharp cries upon seeing the birds introduce a sexual or carnal element to the poem's atmosphere.