Ethical suffering: On the work of Alan Shapiro

The collection of autobiographical poetry written by Alan Shapiro is analyzed, in which he portrays personal tragedies and trauma, thus violating the boundary between art and life and transforming individual experience into communal form. Through his poems, 'Song and Dance' (2002) portraying his brother's death, 'Tantalus in Love' (2005) speaking about his divorce and 'Vigil' on his sister's death, he uses art as a tool for temporary relief from life's suffering, as an ethical response to the suffering.