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The explication of “Curse” depends as much on understanding its style as its language. Bidart is noted for his quirky punctuation and presentation of words, such as using all capital letters or italics. In this poem, he uses italics and gaps in lines to emphasize his point, but what he does not use is just as important. The first line, for instance, may be confusing initially because it lacks the commas it needs to make the meaning easier to grasp. If it were punctuated as “May breath, for a dead moment, cease, as, jerking your,” its message would be clearer.

Starting the sentence with the word “May” is in keeping with the title of the poem, as the speaker expresses a wish or desire for what is to follow. What follows is the beginning of the “curse” that the...