DDCPoetry

Original poem reprinted online here:  "The Conductor" by Jacqueline Berger Originally read: January 2, 2013 More information about the Poet:   Jacqueline Berger Off the bat, we know what's at stake and what the core of the poem is about, "There's no mention, of course, in the program / that the conductor has Parkinson's,".  Usually,  I'm unsure about having something like disease or the death of someone or something tragic really in the beginning of any poem.  On one hand, the stake is clear and so, as a reader, I know where the narrative is going.  One the other hand, as a reader I'm forced to look at the character, poem, technique through the lens of tragedy which I either have to pity the character, poem, technique (forceful emotional blackmail) or interpret actions in the poem as relating to the disease (narrowed interpretations). I think "putting the tragedy up front" works better as a short poem (Emily Dickenson " I Heard a B...