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  • Essay / Perception versus Truth in Roethke's "In a Dark Time"

    In Theodore Roethke's poem, "In a Dark Time," the speaker traverses the unknown world of madness and communicates perceptions that others have refuted. Likely representative of Roethke's personal struggles with schizophrenia, "In a Dark Time" shows the thought process of a disturbed individual. Through Roethke's use of deceptive rhymes, constant paradoxes, and embedded juxtapositions, the speaker illustrates the inconsistencies between his thoughts and the realities around him, thereby exposing his trapped madness. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Roethke uses an unconventional rhyme scheme to highlight the deceptiveness of the world. This theme of deception appears in the last two lines of each stanza. The first stanza has an abcdee rhyme pattern. When the reader observes the second stanza, they see that Roethke does not follow the structure of the previous stanza. However, by looking at the two words “cave” and “have”, the reader sees that the structure of the words suggests a rhyme. This use of eye rhymes continues throughout the poem. For example, the third stanza again follows the rhyme scheme of abcdee, but when examining the last stanza, only an eye rhyme appears. Roethke uses these discrepancies to illustrate the inconsistent nature of the speaker's mind. Alongside the discrepancies displayed with the rhyme structure, the speaker also experiences a gap between his perception and reality. By communicating these inconsistencies, the speaker uncovers the troubled nature of his thoughts, thus allowing the reader insight into the speaker's madness. To further reinforce the speaker's predicament in the face of reality, Roethke also uses several paradoxes to blur this line that separates perception from truth. For example, when we study the literal interpretation of the first line: “In times of darkness the eye begins to see,” a paradox already becomes apparent. Additionally, the second line raises a similar inconsistency. Shadows appear under the effect of light. However, the second line states: "I meet my shadow in the deepening shadow." » Finally, in the fourth stanza, the speaker asserts that “midnight comes again” during the “great day.” Once again, these examples highlight the separation between the speaker's perceptions and the truths held by those around him. By adding this element into the poem, Roethke allows the reader to understand the speaker's thought process more deeply. Finally, Roethke uses blatant juxtaposition to further illustrate a central characteristic of madness. In the poem, Roethke places opposing ideas and elements in the same context to create confusion between perceptions and truth. For example, in the second stanza, the poet uses the word "purity" to describe despair. In most cases, the word "pure" comes from a positive connation associated with purity and even angelic. However, in this case, Roethke places “purity” in a dark and dreary context. Additionally, in the third stanza, the reader can observe another example of juxtaposition. When Roethke uses the description of an “unnatural blazing light,” he places this light in a scene previously described as a dark and almost sinister “night without tears.” By inserting these opposing ideas into his poem, Roethke highlights the contradictions observed by the speaker. These inconsistencies allow the reader to grasp and absorb the speaker's disjointed thoughts. Through his use of structure and language, Roethke effectively communicates