The Aesthetics of Deviation in Contemporary Arabic Poetry: Selected Poems

Abstract

    This study aims to explore the aesthetic aspects of deviation (both semantic and syntactic) in contemporary Arabic poetry and to discover their contribution to the creation of poetic meaning and the structure of the artistic text. It examines some of these poems by Badr Shakir al-Sayyab in “Rain Song”, Nazik Al-Malaika in “Cholera”, Nizar Qabbani in “You Are the Language”, and Mahmoud Darwish in “The Table” (Al-Jadariyya). The research will be conducted on the assumption that the syntactic and semantic distance can be considered a fundamental principle in the process of renewal of modern poetic discourse, which enables the poet to cross conventional language and create deeper and more suggestive meanings.

   The study is based on stylistic analytical method in order to reveal the expressions of deviation in the selected texts and various types of deviation techniques presented in the texts, including metaphor, personification, irony, inversion, repetition and syntactic deviation, with explanation on how these techniques help to augment the meaning and enhance the reading experience of the poetry. The study is a proof of the deviation as an integral part of contemporary Arabic poetry. Each poet uses the element of deviation in a way that fits their vision – al-Sayyab uses it to show mythological and human dimensions, Al-Malaika to present collective tragedy, Qabbani to create emotional and symbolic speech and language, and Darwish to portray existential and philosophical issues. Therefore this study concludes that deviation is one of the most striking elements of poetic modernity as it offers aesthetic and semantic possibilities for enriching the poetic text, expanding the interpretation horizon and intensifying the artistic and intellectual value of modern poetry.