HLTH 385/ITAL 376: Humanizing Health

We began this week’s classes with a reference to the Haitian myth of Anacaona, the Golden Flower. At the end of the recent Candler concert dedicated to this great goddess, a member of the audience rose to address the musician and the poet on stage. She introduced herself as a Grady trauma ward nurse, and thanked the artists for sharing their art, stating that immersing herself in the beauty of music and poetry was her way of coming to terms with the death of her patients when sadly that happened. She said that the arts allowed her to hold their hands and to be with them when medicine could go no further. Reflect on this as you analyze the echoes of sorrow and pain that we  experienced this week in art, hymn, poetry, music, theater, and class performance.

Do not forget to go back to your initial group work in class, many weeks ago, when you reacted to the question “what does sorrow look like?” that I scanned and placed in the same “Class Teaching Tools” conference on Google. Besides the multiple exemplifications of the Stabat Mater theme, also include the poem by Emily Dickinson. If feasible, you are welcome to incorporate the last sculpture we touched upon: the ancient Roman sculpture illustrating an old woman, an alcoholic.