Research the origins of the children's nursery rhyme "Ring around the Rosie." Explain its imagery in terms of how it relates to the Black Plague. Compare the tone of the poem with that of Gunn's "The Missing." How does the singsong rhythm of the nursery rhyme compare with Gunn's meter and rhyme scheme?

Investigate Patient Zero, the mythical man once believed to have introduced AIDS to the United States, and Typhoid Mary, the cook who was allegedly the cause of 51 cases of typhoid. Focus specifically on the distinction between myth and reality in their stories. What would be the purpose of inventing such a figure as Patient Zero? Why would there be such legend and infamy surrounding the life of Typhoid Mary? What does the existence of these figures reveal about the nature of fear and misinformation surrounding disease?

Write a poem...