Gone Viral:

  • Fear of others
    • Point: Poet emphasises through the “twin-structure”, the different approaches to this epidemic, and the tendency everyone has to look for someone to blame. This translates in xenophobia.
      Evidence: “How can we avoid/foreign/disease-ridden/walking pathogens..”
      Analysis: The use of “we” and “foreign” creates a stark contrast by highlighting that there is a divide amongst society. “Foreign” suggests that it is someone coming from abroad, or not from your country who is a “walking pathogens”. Furthermore, “walking pathogen” implies that they themselves are viewed as the disease – not because they carry the virus – but because they are foreign…
    • Point: Poet then suggests that this fear of others moves from being scared of one group of people, to being suspicious and fearful of anyone in society.
      Evidence: “Anyone coughing or sneezing/ be on your guard.”
      Analysis: The use of “anyone” suggests that it is not being wary of any person surrounding you, regardless of who they are. Anything as regular as coughing and sneezing (things even a normal baby does!) now prods us to “be on your guard.” Furthermore, “be on your guard” creates the image of protecting yourself from something dangerous or harmful. The poet implies that “anyone coughing or sneezing” is enough of a reason to be fearful of them, and to protect yourself from THEM (not the virus).
  • Masking real thoughts and feelings
    • Point: The poet uses the mask as a metaphor to symbolise how people are covering their true intentions and true beliefs – which is the fear of other people.
      Evidence: “Xenophobes” are seen to “mask their true intentions.” Analysis: Throughout the poem, “mask” is used as the literal masks which are worn during the pandemic. However, “mask their true intentions”, suggests that this mask is also covering people’s true intentions – which is to blame someone else for this virus, and to be spiteful towards one another.
  • Fear of fear itself
    • Point: The poet points out that the pandemic, which causes the eventual fear of each other, is as dangerous to our society as the virus is to our body.
      Evidence: “All this paranoia is as lethal as any other pandemic”
      Analysis: “Lethal” has a strong connotation of something deadly and dangerous. The poet is nudging the audience to evaluate their fear, and examine whether it is more lethal than the pandemic itself.
    • Point: When read horizontally, the poet chides the reader to realise that humanity’s reaction is less than ideal, as we are turning against one another, fueled by fear itself, and not fear of the virus.
      Evidence: “this disease of our own ignorance”
      Analysis: The poet draws a comparison between the real disease of COVID-19, and the disease caused by our lack of empathy and awareness. The word “disease”, highlights to the reader than although we may not be infected with COVID-19, our mindsets are infected.