This is the Dark Time my love (poem)- Themes and Through Analysis of Poem PDF

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Summary

A thorough explanation and analysis of the poem "This is a Dark Time, My Love" including themes and the tone and mood....

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THIS IS THE DARK TIME, MY LOVE by Martin Carter The persona is metaphorically speaking to his country which he calls “My love”. He tells this person that it is a dark time, which is, in essence, a time of sadness war and oppression. It is implied, by certain key terms; such as ‘dark metal’, that it is a time of war. The persona warns his ‘love’ that in this dark time it is important to be vigilant as there the invader may take away all that they hoped for.

LITERARY DEVICES 1. REPETITION Stanza 1 & stanza 2 “This is the dark time my love,”: The repetition of this phrase highlights that there is something seriously amiss. The persona is telling his ‘love’ that this is a sad and terrible time. 2. ALLITERATION “brown beetles… shining sun” these examples draw the reader’s’ visual attention to the sentence. The sentence implies that everything that is good and positive is hidden away, or gone. This alliteration sets a sad tone at the very beginning of this poem. 3.PATHETIC FALLACY Pathetic Fallacy is used to highlight the mood or atmosphere present in a poem. In this poem, the poet's image of flowers bowing their heads in sorrow helps to solidify the sorrowful mood/atmosphere of the poem. Flowers are usually associated with feelings of happiness and cheerfulness. Therefore, if the flowers – ambassadors of joy – are sad, then it highlights how really sad the times have become.

4. IMAGERY The images appeal to the sense of sight and sound. They present visual pictures that are striking. The picture of the soldiers, “all around the land brown beetles crawl about”, in their thick armor, the hard covering on their backs are like beetles. The tramping of soldiers “whose boots of steel tramp down the slender grass”. You can also see the slender grass being trampled upon whilst looking withered.

5. OXYMORON “It is the festival of guns, the carnival of misery.” The contrast in this device is startling. The terms ‘festival’ and ‘carnival’ not only describes fun and festivity, but also a large amount of each. Both words are associated with huge crowds. This emphasizes how terrible the times have become because guns and misery are plentiful. 6. RHETORICAL QUESTION ! Who comes walking in the dark night time?: This device informs the reader/ audience that a threat exists and that it comes in the dark of night. Whose boot of steel tramps down the slender grass?: It is implied that the threat is a soldier through the term ‘boot of steel’. The ‘slender grass’ is the innocent youth who is cut down and trampled by these ‘boots of steel’. The fact that we are given this information through the use of rhetorical question adds mystery and intrigue to the poem. ! IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES ‘man of death’ The man of death, in this context, is the soldier. ‘Watching you sleep’ Sleep is a state of extreme vulnerability. This is the case because when one falls asleep, they fall into unconsciousness, which equates to a state of defenselessness. The fact that the man of death, ie soldier, watches the persona’s ‘love’ while he/she sleeps, implies that this person is not only vulnerable, but in extreme danger.

‘aiming at your dream.’ The man of death’s purpose is to destroy the persona’s ‘love’s’ dreams, or desires Theme: The theme War, Oppression and Death Atmosphere/Mood and Tone The atmosphere/mood of the poem is one of tension, fear, anxiety. “Everywhere the faces of men are strained and anxious.” This is because of the presence of soldiers: “all around the land brown beetles crawl about.” Even nature is sympathetic to the cause of the people as expressed in the line “red flowers bend their heads in awful sorrow.” The poet’s tone is one of depression and lamentation for the misery of his people, the instability and sorrow brought about by the strange invader....