1989
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"1989," by Ron Koertge, is a poem about a man's disposition during funerals and memorial services. The poem also includes the outlook the speaker maintains on such ceremonies. A definite response to the speaker's attitude in the poem is unclear. The manner in which he regards funerals is unusual. On the other hand, the way in which he celebrates life, rather than mourning death is admirable. These two elements are apparent throughout the poem from beginning to end.
In the beginning of the poem, the speaker acknowledges the AIDS crisis during the 1980's. He explains that the services for those who died were so high in number that the speaker had to clear out his or her schedule in order to attend the funerals. He regarded the funerals with resistance and saw them as a challenge.
I went to a lot of memorial services that year...