Jesus Christ
In "Transfiguration," Jarman imagines what Jesus would have felt on the day of his transfiguration. He gives the Christ human emotions -- loneliness, fear, and pain. After processing these feelings, Jesus manages to rise above the concept of pain itself and suddenly a bright light transforms his physical appearance as he is enlightened.
Mark Jarman
Jarman writes several autobiographical poems. Although he does not name himself, he writes in the first person about formative experiences. Church and surfing appear to have been the catalysts which carried Jarman into adult life. In "Ground Swell" he expresses some reticence to writing about his own teenage years because of the obvious self-centeredness of the topic. He cannot help doing so, however, because he notes how the age of sixteen stands out like a brilliant light compared to all the other years. Those experiences were the beginning of something important for him, when he first start considering his own worth and how to help others embrace theirs.
Diana Ross
As lead singer of the Supremes, Diana Ross is Jarman's teenage obsession in "The Supremes." Her voice and her image, with her two companions, bejeweled, dancing in unison, sets the background for Jarman's memories of high school. Her image brings back entire days worth of memories from that season for the author, who soaks in the vividness of the memories as both significant and sweet.
