The Bat Poet features a variety of characters, most of whom relay one or more of the story's central themes. The symbolic nature of the characters contributes to the story's richness. Each of the different animals contributes to the overall theme.

The most vividly drawn character is the "coffee-colored" bat who refuses to stay asleep during the day. This bat is something of a rebel. He observes things that the other bats have never seen and wants to write about them. Like the poet in society, the bat is the observer for those who are too wrapped up in conformity to truly see. As an individual, the bat must also learn what he thinks is important, even if learning this causes him great difficulty.

The other animals in the story are important because of what they teach the bat. The mockingbird, though not a...