Thursday, September 4, 2014

Explain the usage of "of us all" in the poem "To the doctor who treated the raped baby and felt such despair."

"All of us" refers to every witness of the situation taking place. This includes the direct witnesses who are working with the doctor, as he "cleanses," "opiates," and "stitches," and those of us reading about what is happening. It refers to everyone who commiserates and shares in the frustration of what is taking place; the abysmal nature of it all. 

It also refers to society and its general view of doctors.



the rest of us, we all slept in trust 
that you would do what you did,
that you could do what you did



"All of us" generally trust that doctors will do their jobs; yet, we hardly ever wonder what exactly goes on in their hearts when they have to deal with situations of this nature. Often, we think of medical doctors as miracle workers who make a lot of money and may or may not possess a god complex. However, few realize the hard journey it takes to make it to the ranks of a physician, and even fewer come to realize that they too have emotions, systems of belief, limitations, peeves, and frustrations. This particular doctor was dealing with the ultimate abomination, and it is clear that he (or she) has been emotionally moved by this case. Meanwhile, "all of us" go on with our lives while still commiserating with the doctor and the baby; we mourn the fact that events like this can happen in our society.

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