Arabic – Literature Modern Poetry Movements – 3AS – Letters

Modern Arabic Poetry Movements

Modern Arabic poetry underwent major transformations breaking away from classical forms.

Free Verse

Pioneered by Nazik al-Malaika and Badr Shakir al-Sayyab in the 1940s-50s. Abandoned the traditional single meter and rhyme using variable line lengths.

Prose Poem

Further break from tradition abandoning meter entirely. Focus on imagery and suggestion. Adunis and Muhammad al-Maghut.

Resistance Poetry

Political poetry addressing Palestinian cause and Arab struggles. Mahmoud Darwish Samih al-Qasim Muin Bseiso.

Exercises

1) What is free verse? 2) Who pioneered free verse? 3) What themes does resistance poetry address?

See Modern Poetry and Arabic Literature.