Post-stroke aphasia in famous writers: when Neurology left geniuses speechless

Abstract

Aphasia is a frequent and devastating stroke complication that does not spare even great writers. In these cases, not only one of the highest cognitive functions is suddenly lost but also the act of bringing beauty into the world. Herein, we discuss the case of three writers who had to abandon their art compulsorily due to a cerebrovascular disease: Charles Baudelaire, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Stendhal. They were magnificent writers, united by excellence in literature and an inevitable destiny that restricted their art to just a few words. They are also examples of the proximity of Neurology to Art, History, and Literature.

Hemorrhagic Stroke as Inspiration for Poetry: The Case of Alfred Tennyson, Arthur Henry Hallam, and In Memoriam A.H.H.

“…Examples for each category abound; for the first one, one may find examples ranging from the lyrical cries for deliverance from disease present in King David's fortyfirst psalm [5], in the 10th century BC, to Stendhal (1783-1842), Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), and Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867), all victims of stroke leading to aphasia [6]; for the second one, one may be reminded of William Shakespeare's (1564-1616) enormous canvases of mental illness, epilepsy, and congenital abnormalities [7], among others, or Thomas Mann's (1875-1955) exquisite characters struggling with cholera, neurosyphilis, and tuberculosis [8]; for the third one, consider Ovid's (43 BC-17/18 AD) mention of surgery in book I of his Metamorphoses, in 8 AD [9], Geoffrey Chaucer's (circa 1,340-1,400) Canterbury Tales and his considerations on the still quasi mystical medicine of his age [10], and Thomas Stearns Eliot's (1888-1965) recurring images of nerves, brains, or skulls [11]. In short, many authors have been drawn toward the realms of disease and medicine and have sought ways to describe, deal with, or interpret the sufferings and pains borne from them.…”