Beyond the Microscope: How AIDS Poetry Exposed the Social and Personal Implications of Disease in American Society

Abstract

Illness constitutes some of the most disturbing aspects of the human experience and is highly stigmatized as a result. This attitude towards illness impacts the (in)frequency with which it is discussed, portrayed, and explored across art and media, including in poetry. When examining the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic, this phenomenon is blatantly paired with the historical subjugation of marginalized groups within the American healthcare system. The AIDS epidemic—initially ignored due to the stigmas surrounding it—claimed the lives of thousands of Americans and eventually opened the door to discussions regarding equality, the LGBTQIA+ community, and racial justice within the medical field. My research seeks to explore how this discussion emerged from and impacted the world of poetry. I first discuss how illness poetry has traditionally been regarded compared to other forms of poetry, then launch into a case study analysis of three poets who experienced and wrote about the AIDS epidemic in America from different lenses: Tory Dent, Essex Hemphill, and Mark Doty. In doing so, I demonstrate that AIDS poetry acts as a tool for patient care and relief, a medium of social and political advocacy, and a precedent for other subgenres of illness poetry.