The Demon of Poetry
In Milosz' "Ars Poetics" he writes about a demon who has inspirational control over the proverbial poet. Poetry is thought to bring about this new species. It's a possession of the artist by a new spirit, to which Milosz attributes the epithet "daimonion." But this demon is a greedy fellow who seeks to control the poet's actions and body as well as his words and mind, stealing moments in time from the author. More importantly this demon is a representation of the absolute quality of the human mind to be unconsciously influenced. There is also a hint that perhaps this demon chooses the poet rather than vice versa, to suit his own aims, whether beneficial or harmful.
The Child of Europe
In the poem of the same name, this child represents every European that has ever been, but especially those contemporaries of Milosz as well as Milosz himself. This child inherits all the horrors and achievements of an entire continent, stretching back thousands of years in human history. Ripe for admonition, this child is encouraged to pay attention to the past and to respect the lessons which people have learned already. He or she is urged to prepare for warfare and to use deceit (the function of words according to the narrator) to get the upper hand of those who hear it but only ever rooted in the truth of past events.
God
In "A Poem for the End of the Century," God is a featured character. He taunts the pious man with recollections of past sins. He is considered dull, however, because his merciful nature is uninteresting to mankind. Man isn't able to comprehend the extreme selflessness of his sacrifice in Jesus Christ that he doesn't even begin to try to think about it. God remains a mystery.
The Pious Man
According to an Arab legend in "A Poem for the End of the Century," this man is holy and faithful to God. He contemplates the wonders of God's mercy, but he acknowledges the futility of humanity's attempts to understand God.
