Ad LibitumMarch 2023AlcestisRebekka DePew, MDRebekka DePew, MDWest Suburban Medical Center, Oak Park, IllinoisSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M22-1169 Audio Reading - “Alcestis” Audio. Michael A. Lacombe, MD, Annals Associate Editor, reads “Alcestis” by Rebekka DePew, MD Your browser does not support the audio element. Audio player progress bar Step backward in current audio track Play current audio trackPause current audio track Step forward in current audio track Mute current audio trackUnmute current audio track 00:00/ SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Those who die and then return areoften silentwhich has never once been attributed tohaving seen godsometimes when I come backI do not speaksometimes when I come backI smell on my children's breaththe tinge of flesh left too long unfedsinew without nervewe are lightning set to smolderI know that nowbefore I left I was toldthat the sun and the moon were too heavy forthe same skyI was not told that death would lingerI was not told that the river Styx was pettyand bureaucratic I was not toldasphodel in its ... Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: West Suburban Medical Center, Oak Park, IllinoisEditor's Note: In its mood and tone, in its sparse choice of words perfectly chosen, in its use of enjambment to compel the reader along, this poem haunted me. Why the title, I wondered? How does a woman from Greek mythology serve this poem? As Alcestis did down through the ages of literature, from Chaucer to Milton, from Handel, Glueck, and Schweitzer, to Rilke, Wilder, and Martha Graham? I will challenge you to do your own research to unveil this masterpiece of poetry. Corresponding Author: Rebekka DePew, MD; e-mail, [email protected]com. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement Audio Reading - “Alcestis” Audio. Michael A. Lacombe, MD, Annals Associate Editor, reads “Alcestis” by Rebekka DePew, MD Your browser does not support the audio element. Audio player progress bar Step backward in current audio track Play current audio trackPause current audio track Step forward in current audio track Mute current audio trackUnmute current audio track 00:00/ FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Current IssueMarch 2023Volume 176, Issue 3Page: 422 ePublished: 21 March 2023 Issue Published: March 2023 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2023 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...