Mahmoud Darwish, Exile's Poet: Critical Essays

by Hala Kh. (ed.) Nassar, Najat (ed.) Rahman

Overview

Mahmoud Darwish’s work has long been considered seminal in shaping modern Arabic poetry. He has received wide international recognition and is regarded as a contender for the Nobel Prize. Often deemed the “Poet of the Resistance,” no substantial critical study exists that addresses the complexity of Darwish’s poetry in rewriting the homeland and articulating exile. His later poetry consciously marks a move away from his earlier portrayals of identity, home, and poetry, yet many critics have failed to take note of this shift. His oeuvre yokes poetry and history, the political and the poetic, probing identities in perpetual exile. This book examines the complex connections between poetry, myth, lyric, prose, and history in Darwish’s poetry. The scholarly articles in this volume situate his work in relation to both modern Arabic and world poetry. In addition, the articles address issues such as the future of poetry, the role of the poet, language, cultural heritage, lyrical modes, as well as the relationship of place and identity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781566566643
Publisher:	Interlink Publishing Group, Incorporated
Publication date:	10/28/2007
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Hala Kh. Nassar is an assistant professor of modern Arabic culture and literature at Yale University. She is at work on a book about Palestinian theater and the culture of martyrdom. Najat Rahman is assistant professor of comparative literature at the University of Montreal. Her work explores Mahmoud Darwish’s poetry in relation to contemporary articulations of home.

Editorial Reviews

"This excellent volume places Darwish's poetry and thought in their cultural and intellectual context. Highly recommended."

"Arguably the most important Palestinian poet of our time, Mahmoud Darwish appears for the first time in English in Exile's Poet, deftly edited by professors of modern Arabic culture and comparative literatures respectively Hala Khamis Nassar & Najat Rahman it offers a critical appraisal of Darwish's work as well, from his earliest works to his later work, filled with connections between myth, lyric, prose, and history among other things. The Editors bring in editorials on the future of poetry, roles of the modern poet, heritage and more. Highly recommended to poetry fans who want an in depth look from another place in the world."

"In 'Exile's Poet, Critical Essays,' most of the scholars have been involved in translation, and they patiently explain the complexities of the original Arabic for the English reader, making this collection a valuable library addition and ideal for those who teach world literature in English. ...testifies to the depth of Darwish's talent as a poet who continually enriches...provides an array of secondary sources, some jewels of information in the endnotes and an extensive bibliography of cited works."

From the Publisher

"This excellent volume places Darwish's poetry and thought in their cultural and intellectual context. Highly recommended."

Choice

"Arguably the most important Palestinian poet of our time, Mahmoud Darwish appears for the first time in English in Exile's Poet, deftly edited by professors of modern Arabic culture and comparative literatures respectively Hala Khamis Nassar & Najat Rahman it offers a critical appraisal of Darwish's work as well, from his earliest works to his later work, filled with connections between myth, lyric, prose, and history among other things. The Editors bring in editorials on the future of poetry, roles of the modern poet, heritage and more. Highly recommended to poetry fans who want an in depth look from another place in the world."

Midwest Book Review

"In 'Exile's Poet, Critical Essays,' most of the scholars have been involved in translation, and they patiently explain the complexities of the original Arabic for the English reader, making this collection a valuable library addition and ideal for those who teach world literature in English. ...testifies to the depth of Darwish's talent as a poet who continually enriches...provides an array of secondary sources, some jewels of information in the endnotes and an extensive bibliography of cited works."

Al Jadid