The Value of Poetry and the Poet's Role in Mahmoud Darwish's Poetic Outlook: A Thematic Study.

Abstract

The ancient Arab literary heritage and criticism gives great value to poetry and its role in society. The great importance of the poet and his great role in life was deeply rooted in society.

The poet Mahmoud Darweesh had a different outlook to this, as he does not go in line with this inherited idea as noticed in his poems and writings. Mahmoud Darweesh believes in the marginality of poetry and in the poet's normality. This view was repeated in his poetic texts.

The aim of this study is to trace this view in his poetry, analyze the aesthetic styles used to express it, and identifying the factors that led to the emergence of such an outlook, whether these are personal, social, historical, or political.

The study raises the following questions:

• - How did Mahmoud Darweesh view the value of poetry and poets in his works?
• - What are differences between his viewpoint and the other viewpoints in the Arab literary heritage and criticism?
• - What are the artistic styles that shaped his viewpoint?
• - What are the individual, collective circumstances and factors that led to the emergence of such an outlook?

The study adopted the thematic approach, which allows tracing the poet's view, analyzing it, and identifying the contexts where views are formulated.

This study concluded that Darwish has a different view on the value of poetry and the poets’ role, as he believes in the marginality of poetry and its transition from the text to the margin.

Darweesh's view was a personal one on his poetry alone. He sees that his poetry is an echo of previous texts and he describes himself as being marginalized. He also focuses on the human description rather than the creative one, and he does not see in himself the uniqueness of being a poet. Besides, he keeps denying the immortality of his poetry and its effectiveness in creating his poems.

 Such an outlook was formed by employing various methods of image and symbol, intertextuality, and contrast. There were personal reasons behind having such an outlook; Darwish's feeling of alienation from himself, the rootedness of exile in himself. Another factor is where the value of poetry and the role of the poet diminish viz-a-viz the occupation of Palestine and the human anguish.