Characters

• The Speaker (Poetic Persona): He is an old man who feels out of place in the world of the young. He wants to leave the physical world and go to a spiritual place—Byzantium—where he can become eternal through art and wisdom.
• Young People (The Youth): They enjoy life, love, and nature. But they do not think about death or the soul. They live in the moment and are not concerned with deeper meaning.
• The Wise Men in Byzantium: They are holy and full of spiritual knowledge. The speaker calls them to guide his soul and help him leave his dying body.