The II Stage of the Battle for the Renewal of Arabic Verse: Supporters and Opponents

Abstract

The author's English summary from the article:

Researchers and historians of Arabic literature distinguish three main stages in the process of development of Arabic literature. Giorgi Lobzhanidze’s article deals with the second stage of the development of New Arabic poetry (from 1940s to 1980s), when, on the one hand, the opposition between traditional and new aesthetics has reached its pick and on the other hand, when the peculiarities and main values have finally been marked, which was later used by contemporary writers to activate poetical language which was totally different from the old one. Researchers cannot agree on the name of innovator of Arabic poetry and they name different poets from various Arabic countries, who had to implement similar reforms in nearly the same period and due to these reforms to distribute all the burdens and poetical results.

Though, collection of Iraq poetess Nazik al-Mala’ikah “Ash and Remains “ was written several years prior the works of other poets, therefore the above mentioned collection provide us with materials which helps us to mark all the tendencies of development, which was later more clearly fixed in the books of other Arabic writers. Nazik al-Mala’ikah’s collection is preceded by the author’s brief preface, which represents a kind of manifest for defending aesthetics and values that are reflected in the book. If the preface of Nazik al-Mala’ikah only fixes the results of the process, Giorgi Lobjanidze in his article tries to clear out reasons, which has caused these results.

The author of the article briefly discusses literary condition in Arabic countries and represents the works of Nazik al-Mala’ikah and other poets as a logical consequence. In the second half of the XX century Arabic east initiated and speeded up the process of industrialization and westernization. This process was relatively earlier passed by West. Drastic changes that have taken place in the life style would without doubt be reflected on literature, as Arabic writer of the second half of the XX century was no longer the child of the reality to where his ancestors have to live. Poetic transformation of reality gave us new literary reality, whose system of morals was gained by means of reaching human’s feelings and intellect.

This system of values has included the content of poetry and has put it upside down. The change of content farther required formal changes (changes in the form). Therefore, collapse of traditional poetics and building new aesthetics on this tradition happened in two directions. From the point of content a lot of themes have entered the Arabic poetry in the period under discussion, and changes of kaleidoscopic nature would probably confuse poets of previous epoch. Relation towards individualism was the main differentiating sign between traditional and new poetics. If in the previous epochs the person’s voice was lost in the frames of artistic-imaginative system, could hardly or not at all be distinguished, new poetry has completely ruined that frame and positioned the individual in his centre of interest.

As a result, in poetry intimate mood was strengthened and was outlined such feelings, which were previously condemned by poets. Of course, intimacy does not consider only sexual feelings (it should be noted that traditional Arabic literature never avoided this topic and showed it with great interest), here we speak about representing and analysing hidden, unconscious inclinations of human, during the representation of which poetic word acquires more meaning. Poetic forms that were used for centuries would not be appropriate for such kind of drastic individualism, which like lifeless scheme, would not only prevent the expression of new poetical content accents but would also slow down everything, what contemporary poet regarded as his main message towards society.

Therefore, new poetical forms emerge in Arabic poetry in the second half of XX century, opposing traditional Arud system and from the first glance, are regarded as innovations brought from outside (Western poetry). Although, the author of the article analysis the formal changes made by Andalusia Arabic poetry in traditional Arud system, contrasts these results with form novelty of Arabic literature and concludes that new poetic forms established in contemporary Arabic poetry should be more a logical consequence of the collapse of Arud system than blindly coping organically strange elements from Western poetry. If it was not that way, novelties of Arabic poetry could not be established and find logical development in today’s literary processes.

All these in the article are displayed against the background of analysis of thoughts of supporters and opponents of new poetry, which enabled the author to reflect clearly and exactly the process of development.

Published in the journal Sjani, vol. 9 (2008), pp. 125–126. Open the paper