Poetry and Medicine: From Pathos to Practice

3 units

What do poetry and medicine have in common? For some, it's the ultimate act of voyeurism: Dr. Richard Sobel writes that physicians are allowed to remove a patient's clothing and to look at the naked body; poets (and those who read poems) allow themselves to unveil the curtain of the familiar, to look at raw emotion, to face the 'other' (90). Given that both fields look at the most mysterious parts of humanity, this course examines how one may inform the other. Students will read poetry centered around the body, illness, hospitalization, and medical treatment alongside scholarly articles written by both academics and doctors. Can poetry convey physical and emotional experience in a way that improves medical treatment? Can medical students and doctors alike explore creativity as a professional and personal outlet? Students will write, with the aid of weekly workshops, their own poetry, analysis, and scholarly research regarding the utility of medical humanities. No prior experience with creative writing or experience in the hospital setting needed.