Hopelessness

That the man in Dobyns's poem “It's like This” is comforted by the darkness and that the speaker of the poem likens the same darkness to a sensual embrace create a sense of hopelessness in this poem. If darkness is the only thing that soothes this man, he is forever lost in an unreal world where there is no light. If there is light in his dreams, it is only his imagination playing tricks on him, just as the darkness pretends to be a lover. A soul in darkness is not a positive image. It does not translate as someone who is inspired.

Another indicator of hopelessness is that the man goes out each day and tries to focus on what appears to be something that cannot be put into focus. Throughout his day, the man runs into situations that would totally frustrate most people. No one seems...