The Theme of “Return”: Rituals and Perceptions, in Arabic Palestinian Poetry
Nejmeh Habib
nejmeh_habib@hotmail.com
Received : 20-10-2008 , Accepted : 15-04-2009
Language: Arabic
Abstract
This essay investigates the themes of return and ritual as they appear in Palestinian Arabic poetry. The essay also investigates how this poetry has evolved, thematically and aesthetically, along with the historical developments of the Palestinian struggle. To investigate these tropes of return and ritual in relation to the Palestinian struggle for freedom and independence, the paper examines three poems from the 1950s: "We Will Return" by Abdel Karim Al_Karmi; “Abu Salma”, excerpts from a poem by Tawfiq Zayyad; and "The Gateway of Tears" by Samih Al-Qasim. Later poems, influenced by Romanticism are also examined: "It is a Blessing to Stay in Her Lap", excerpts from a poem by Fadwa Tuqan; and "The Bridge of Return", an excerpt from a poem by Tawfiq Zayyad. Poems corresponding to the rise and intensification of the resistance are also examined, such poems are selected from the works of Ahmad Dahbour and Iz-Idine Al-Manasra. In the final section of this paper, I examine Mahmoud Darwich's poetry in order to analyse the patterns of return evident throughout his writing career. The conclusion provides a summary of the findings uncovered by the study.
http://www.najah.edu/index.php?page=2150&l=en&extra=%26id%3D596
Nejmeh Habib
nejmeh_habib@hotmail.com
Received : 20-10-2008 , Accepted : 15-04-2009
Language: Arabic
Abstract
This essay investigates the themes of return and ritual as they appear in Palestinian Arabic poetry. The essay also investigates how this poetry has evolved, thematically and aesthetically, along with the historical developments of the Palestinian struggle. To investigate these tropes of return and ritual in relation to the Palestinian struggle for freedom and independence, the paper examines three poems from the 1950s: "We Will Return" by Abdel Karim Al_Karmi; “Abu Salma”, excerpts from a poem by Tawfiq Zayyad; and "The Gateway of Tears" by Samih Al-Qasim. Later poems, influenced by Romanticism are also examined: "It is a Blessing to Stay in Her Lap", excerpts from a poem by Fadwa Tuqan; and "The Bridge of Return", an excerpt from a poem by Tawfiq Zayyad. Poems corresponding to the rise and intensification of the resistance are also examined, such poems are selected from the works of Ahmad Dahbour and Iz-Idine Al-Manasra. In the final section of this paper, I examine Mahmoud Darwich's poetry in order to analyse the patterns of return evident throughout his writing career. The conclusion provides a summary of the findings uncovered by the study.
http://www.najah.edu/index.php?page=2150&l=en&extra=%26id%3D596
