The Virus

“The Virus” is written in free verse, without a regular meter or a rhyme pattern. The length of its 18 lines ranges from three to eleven syllables. Its syntax is that of ordinary speech. The poem consists of six sentences, some of them developed through multiple clauses over as many as six lines. One sentence contains only one word: “Look” (Line 16). Both word choices and sentence structure create the impression that the virus addresses its victim in direct and unadorned language. It conveys a straightforward and unambiguous message: Your medical tests may be unable to detect me in your blood, but I’m still here and have every intention to make your life miserable.

That message is reinforced by the repetition of several key words or phrases. The phrase “I can’t” appears three times in the first six lines, where the virus acknowledges its weakened state. Then, as the virus asserts that its murderous intention is undiminished, the phrase “I want” repeats four times in Lines 6-8. The first three times, the virus expresses its desire to kill, but the fourth time its wish is limited to reminding its victim of its continuing presence inside their body.