Modern Arabic Poetry

Beginning with Kahlil Gibran's prophetic claim, down to the daring sexual imagery of today's Arab women, the last century witnessed the most radical transformation Arabic poetry has ever undergone. Among the makers of the new landscape are different generations of mystical prophets, self-sacrificing prophets of national rebirth, poets submerged in themselves and their self-reflexive poems, and finally those simply seizing the flux in poetic snapshots. This fascinating transformation is analyzed here, emphasizing the interaction between each poet's conception of poetry and his or her poetic work: its message, form, imagery, as well as its symbolic and possible mythical dimensions. For the western reader, this is a key to the richest Arab 'treasure-house'.