The Speaker: The speaker is Gerard Manley Hopkins himself, a priest and poet. He praises God for the beauty in all things, especially the varied and “dappled” aspects of nature.

God: Though not a character in the usual sense, God is the central figure being praised in the poem. God is the creator of all the colorful, unique, and changing things in nature.

Nature (The “Dappled Things”): Nature itself acts like a character in the poem. It includes the skies, animals, plants, and landscapes—all with their special, spotted, or varied patterns that the poet admires.