"Fern Hill" is a poem by the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. Some of the notable characters in the poem are;

Characters (Real & Personified Characters) 

• The Poet / Speaker: The central character of the poem is the poet himself. He looks back on his childhood memories and describes his moments of joy, freedom, and connection with nature. At first, he is “green and golden”, an innocent, lively child. But gradually, he realizes the loss of that dreamlike innocence with the passing of time. The poet’s character symbolizes human life itself, where joy, change, and the thought of death exist together in harmony.
• Time: “Time” is the most powerful symbolic character in the poem. In the beginning, it appears kind and playful, a friend who allows the child to laugh, play, and live freely. But later, time becomes a cruel force that takes away childhood and innocence. In the final line, “Time held me green and dying, / Though I sang in my chains like the sea,” time is shown as both the giver and taker of life. It grants youth but also brings death.
• Nature: Nature is a silent yet living presence in the poem. The trees, rivers, sun, moon, animals, and fields of the farm are all the poet’s friends and teachers. Nature represents joy, freedom, and the eternal renewal of life. Through nature, the poet experiences spiritual unity and harmony with the world.
• The Child (Young Poet): This is the poet’s childhood self, innocent, carefree, and full of happiness within nature. He is the “prince of the apple towns,” the “huntsman and herdsman,” a free ruler in the kingdom of nature. But with the passage of time, this child disappears, leaving only his memory behind.
• The Farm (Fern Hill Farm): Although not a person, the farm acts as an important character in the poem. It is the poet’s “paradise,” where he once lived in harmony with nature. As the poem progresses, the farm transforms from a real place into a symbol of memory, a lost Eden that exists only in the poet’s mind.