Loss and the Relationship Between Melancholy, Memory, and History in Iraqi Poetry After 2003

Abstract

This research seeks to explore the significance of loss, both physical and emotional, the pain of memory, and the phenomenon of fear in Iraqi poetry after 2003. These phenomena contribute to the bleak picture painted in Iraqi poetry. Under the political and social crises that swept the country, Iraqi poets endured harsh conditions, sharing their pain with that of society. Many suffered the loss of loved ones through death and exile, reflecting their sense of loss and weariness with the death that tore the country and its people apart. Sectarianism also played a role, a constant refrain of death, which led them to write with bitterness. Memory, too, is an integral part of the poet's anguish and sorrow, serving as a repository from which they recalled childhood memories and the harshness of life. Furthermore, memory transcends being merely a record of personal events in the texts of our poets, reaching into ancient ideologies that formed a significant part of their work. From the poet’s awareness, to link the tragedies and pains of the present and past of Iraqi society. This research also included the phenomenon of fear, which represented an important aspect of pessimism, as fear in poetry was associated with real political or social events, and fear was also linked to the unknown future that provokes feelings of imminent danger.