AIDS

Patrick Enyart
Nic Donney
Peter Tint

Critical Analysis
AIDS

May Sarton’s emotions are taking control of the tone of this poem. She feels empathetic towards an individual that is suffering from Aids. May is feeling both despair and hope about the individual that is suffering from the infection. She also goes through a state of fear for the person’s life. The author is expressing a sense of passion for the person with Aids. Her words are showing a sense of urgency or care. “Every night at nine I tuck him into bed, And give him a shot of morphine (line 18,19). May is a caring individual, and she illustrates that very well by her feelings and words expressed in the poem.

In the first ten lines May is showing her emotions having to do with fear. When we think of Aids we automatically think about the worst possible outcomes including death. May is also thinking these thoughts. “The raw truth. Death is on the line (line 5).” She is aware of the results and effect that the infection can have. She also doesn’t know anyone specifically that has Aids; she just feels empathetic about the ones who are dealing with such a tragedy. May reverts to love as the poem progresses. It’s a very slow but methodical transition. She does this very well by expressing her hearts deepest emotions. “Every day now we meet face to face. Every day now devotion is a test (line 23,24).” May is aware of the commitment it requires to comfort one who is going through a very difficult time in their life. She feels like love is the conquering hero that will rescue the soul regardless of their current state.

The overall tone of this poem is very emotional. May is expressing fear, and love on a very broad spectrum. She feels empathetic, despair, and hope. Although Aids is a disease without a cure, the poem is conveying an all embracing type of feeling. When we think of Aids we tend to flip over the death card. May illustrates this at the very beginning. When we read the title we all thought of Pedro. He died, but what Judd wanted the reader to know was that Pedro lived. May is along the same lines expressing love, and how love is the one feeling that conquers. There may not be a physical cure, but Aids can never take what matters the most to us and that’s love. “As we learn it again, as we bring it alive: Love. Love. Love. Love (line 36).”