Mahmoud Darwish as a Sonneteer: Employing Western Poetic Form in Modern Arabic Poetry

Abstract

Mahmoud Darwish (1941–2008) was one of the most notable Palestinian and Arab poets who contributed significantly to modern Arabic poetry's theme and style development. This paper aims to explore Darwish's experimentation in the sonnet form in his Sareer al Gharibeh [The Stranger's Bed] (1999) and how he innovated the western form to serve his eastern themes. The paper briefly traces the historical development of the sonnet form. The sonnet was a famous poetic form that had swept the whole European continent since the early 13th century, yet it found its significant place in modern Arabic poetry only late in the 20th century. The paper traces the roots of this famous form, which goes back to the Arabic poetic form, the muwashshah, which was prominent during the reign of the Andalusian rulers during the 10th century. The paper elucidates how Darwish's sonatas do not follow one rhyme scheme like the traditional western sonneteers; rather, he experiments with various schemes to give this poetic form a new spirit, closer to the depth of his experience and proves his ability to create innovative forms within the monotony of traditional European forms. He relies on different forms of rhyme, and sometimes he leaves the rhyme scheme free without a clear system. The paper also aims to demonstrate that he does not simply imitate Western style and themes but rather uses the Western sonnet form to reflect his cultural and religious surroundings.