In Theodore Roethke's poem, "In a Dark Time," the speaker passes through the unknown world of madness and communicates perceptions that others have disproved. Arguably representative of Roethke's personal struggle with schizophrenia, “In a Dark Time” shows the thought process of a disturbed individual. Through Roethke's use of deceptive rhymes, constant paradoxes, and integrated juxtapositions, the speaker illustrates the inconsistencies between his thoughts and the realities around him, thus revealing his trapped madness. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Roethke uses an unconventional rhyme scheme to show the deception of the world. This theme of deception appears in the last two lines of each stanza. The first verse has a rhyme scheme of abcdee. When the reader looks at the second stanza, he sees that Roethke does not follow the structure of the previous stanza. However, looking at the two words “hollow” 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. Parallel to the displayed discrepancies with the rhyme structure, the speaker also experiences a discrepancy between his perception and reality. By communicating these inconsistencies, the speaker discovers the troubled nature of his thoughts thus allowing the reader to grasp the height of the speaker's madness. To further reinforce the speaker's predicament of reality, Roethke also uses several paradoxes to blur this line dividing perception and truth. For example, when studying the literal interpretation of the first line, “In a time of darkness, the eye begins to see,” a paradox already becomes apparent. Furthermore, the second line raises a similar inconsistency. Shadows appear as a result of light. However, the second line states, “I meet my shadow in the deepening shadow.” Finally, in the fourth stanza, the speaker states that “midnight returns” 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 to the poem, Roethke allows the reader to more deeply understand the speaker's thought process. Finally, Roethke uses a blatant juxtaposition to further illustrate a central feature 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 desperation. In most cases, the word “pure” comes with a positive connotation associated with clean and even angelic. However, in this case, Roethke puts “purity” in a dark and sad context. Furthermore, in the third stanza the reader can observe another example of juxtaposition. When Roethke uses the description of a “fiery, unnatural 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 distraught thoughts. Through his use of structure and language, Roethke effectively communicates the contradictions that the speaker observes. By allowing the reader to observe the speaker's thought process, Roethke opens a path into the