Home > Difficult Times Summary & Study Guide

Difficult Times (Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition)

At a glance:

The Poem

“Difficult Times” is a short (nine lines), unrhymed poem, written in free verse with an irregular rhythmic pattern. Using the first person, Brecht makes it clear that it is he who is speaking directly to the reader.

The first image is of the speaker standing at his desk and looking out the window, presumably ruminating during a lull in his work. There is a hint of restlessness implied in this action. As he looks into the garden, he vaguely discerns an elderberry bush (“elder tree”). He sees red and black shapes that remind him of such a bush that existed...

[The entire page is 1472 words long]

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:

eNotes Pass