(I think I made you up inside my head.)
-- Speaker (Line 3)

Importance: This repeated line is set apart from the rest of the text by parentheses, giving it a visual distinction even before entering into the context of the poem itself. Both visually and thematically, it serves as a marking point at each of the poem’s turns, appearing four times in six stanzas. It represents an oscillation from the subconscious to the conscious, the romantic to the pragmatic.

I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed / And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane.
-- Speaker (Lines 7-8)

Importance: This moment is the poem’s most romantic and lyrical, expressing a naivety and innocence as the speaker loses themself to the flush of first love. The words “moon-struck” and “insane” are both synonyms for the word “Mad” which appears in the title. Here, however, they are given a glittering and iridescent quality reminiscent of film and theatre...