1. Repetition – repetition is when the poet repeats a word or a phrase in the same stanza or in different stanzas. In this poem the poet has repeated the line “This is the dark time, my love” at the beginning of both stanza 1 and stanza.
2. Personification – personification is when human-like characteristics are attributed to non-human objects. In this poem, the poet has personified the “sun”, “red flowers”, “death” and “love”.
3. Rhetorical question– rhetorical question is when a question is asked not for an answer. It is asked to reveal or hint at something. In the poem, stanza 3 has two rhetorical questions to later reveal that the strange invader is a man of death, i.e. the British colonists.

This is the Dark Time, My Love Summary

The poem revolves around the central theme of war and oppression. The poet talks about how it is a dark time, meaning a time of sadness caused by war and racism. The poem also talks about dreams and aspirations and how they are under threat due to the circumstances.

This is the Dark Time, My Love Summary