update
الى روح ((لمى)) فاروق طوقان
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نحبك، نبكيك لا تبعدي
حنانك لا تمعني في المغيب
اتمضين كالحلم؟ كيف وقد كنت
ملء العيون وملء القلوب
فيا قسوة الموت يوم طواك
وحطم غصن صباك الرطيب
لمى لن تغيبي، يظل حضورك
اقوى من الموت، لا لن تغيبي
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for our new chapter
here is what couple of your colleagues said
Fatima Rajab
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Reading " Nasser and the Death of Elegy in Modern Arabic Poetry " I understood that the elegy or ( شعر الرثاء ) has been a central concern of the public since very long, and even earlier than that exists the competing of Arabic elegy as a private business.Before Islam elegies were supposed to be written by family or close relatives. Moving to the modern period, we see that the elegy's perception is to spread the public voice out loudly and to stand against colonialism. But after WW1 this public elegy was attacked by Arab Romantic schools who called for individualism. On the other side we have Jamal Abd Al-Nasir who had an active political life and a number of herioc actions. Nasir was seen as the Prophet Muhammad by the eyes of some Arabic poets like Nizar Qabbani and Zafir al-Sabuni. After the death of Nasser we see how ancient mythology came back again by linking Nasser with ancient myths and heros like Tammuz (God of rebirth).
Reading " Nasser and the Death of Elegy in Modern Arabic Poetry " I understood that the elegy or ( شعر الرثاء ) has been a central concern of the public since very long, and even earlier than that exists the competing of Arabic elegy as a private business.Before Islam elegies were supposed to be written by family or close relatives. Moving to the modern period, we see that the elegy's perception is to spread the public voice out loudly and to stand against colonialism. But after WW1 this public elegy was attacked by Arab Romantic schools who called for individualism. On the other side we have Jamal Abd Al-Nasir who had an active political life and a number of herioc actions. Nasir was seen as the Prophet Muhammad by the eyes of some Arabic poets like Nizar Qabbani and Zafir al-Sabuni. After the death of Nasser we see how ancient mythology came back again by linking Nasser with ancient myths and heros like Tammuz (God of rebirth).
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Yasmine
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I must say, i did not only find this chapter informative about the poetic Arabic tradition of elegy, but I also was deeply inspired by the story of Egyptian political hero, Jamal Abd al Nasser. It is hard to believe that one man could not only change the course of history, but also equally inspire nations and poets to stick to a kind of poetry that was retiring. As you have said, Fatima, after WWI Romantic poets attacked the poetic discipline of elegy, as it was seen as old-fashioned and collides with their individualistic, modern approach to poetry. However, the death of Nasser breathed life into a discipline that was once dying and allowed Arab poets to experiment with style rather than theme. This gave rise to younng poets and allowed prominent ones to affirm their poetic talents. "Nasser's death both created an oppurtunity for poets to use their elegaic talents to the fullest and made it difficult if not impossible, for them to duplicate their efforts at a later date. Thus, Nasser's death could be said to have decreed the death of elegy in modern Arabic Poetry."Forgive my long quote i just saw it to be perfect for my discussion :)I do have more to say about Darwishs enlightening yet real poem, "The Man with the Grren Shadow", but I will keep it for next time since i can sense someone yawning :P
I must say, i did not only find this chapter informative about the poetic Arabic tradition of elegy, but I also was deeply inspired by the story of Egyptian political hero, Jamal Abd al Nasser. It is hard to believe that one man could not only change the course of history, but also equally inspire nations and poets to stick to a kind of poetry that was retiring. As you have said, Fatima, after WWI Romantic poets attacked the poetic discipline of elegy, as it was seen as old-fashioned and collides with their individualistic, modern approach to poetry. However, the death of Nasser breathed life into a discipline that was once dying and allowed Arab poets to experiment with style rather than theme. This gave rise to younng poets and allowed prominent ones to affirm their poetic talents. "Nasser's death both created an oppurtunity for poets to use their elegaic talents to the fullest and made it difficult if not impossible, for them to duplicate their efforts at a later date. Thus, Nasser's death could be said to have decreed the death of elegy in modern Arabic Poetry."Forgive my long quote i just saw it to be perfect for my discussion :)I do have more to say about Darwishs enlightening yet real poem, "The Man with the Grren Shadow", but I will keep it for next time since i can sense someone yawning :P
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Shahd
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This chapter was more interesting than the previous ones we have read, since most of us have background on Jamal Abdulnasser. We all know how he was such an important figure, but reading about how he was viewed as a prophet figure or visionary was very moving. Also, "elegy" or "ritha" is a kind of poetry that we had been taught in school. I recall clearly reading work by "Al Khansa'a", in arabic ofcourse and being touched by the intensity of emotion and mourning her loved ones.But I am still a bit confused about elegy being either public or private..If I understand correctly, after AbdulNasser's death, elegy became a public thing,where everyone could mourn publicly? I'm not too sure.As for the example on Nizar Qabani's poem, "Qatalnaka" I was very surprised that he could write with such political bluntness. I have read alot of his poems but they have all been love poetry..I reccomend his work for all you girls..it is simpler than most arabic poetry. Finally, Darwish's poem "The Man with the Green Shadow" was very inspiring and beautifully worded, especially the way he associates the color green with Abdulnasser which is "the color of veggetation and growth" (p 77). The language and style are very moving, speaking to us "privately" and publicly.
This chapter was more interesting than the previous ones we have read, since most of us have background on Jamal Abdulnasser. We all know how he was such an important figure, but reading about how he was viewed as a prophet figure or visionary was very moving. Also, "elegy" or "ritha" is a kind of poetry that we had been taught in school. I recall clearly reading work by "Al Khansa'a", in arabic ofcourse and being touched by the intensity of emotion and mourning her loved ones.But I am still a bit confused about elegy being either public or private..If I understand correctly, after AbdulNasser's death, elegy became a public thing,where everyone could mourn publicly? I'm not too sure.As for the example on Nizar Qabani's poem, "Qatalnaka" I was very surprised that he could write with such political bluntness. I have read alot of his poems but they have all been love poetry..I reccomend his work for all you girls..it is simpler than most arabic poetry. Finally, Darwish's poem "The Man with the Green Shadow" was very inspiring and beautifully worded, especially the way he associates the color green with Abdulnasser which is "the color of veggetation and growth" (p 77). The language and style are very moving, speaking to us "privately" and publicly.
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Tasneem
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The chapter on ‘Nasser and the Death of Elegy’ I found really interesting as some of it was linked to a postcolonial class I took last semester. The effect colonialism has on poetry and other forms of literature whether it may be novels or critical essays we now see in this chapter on Arabic poetry. There’s something about being colonized and oppressed that stirs up the spirit and enhances the mood for national liberation, especially writers who believe that they can make a difference by expressing how they feel on behalf of the colonized citizens. This is called ‘’resistance literature’’ (pg64) which boosted the writing of arab elegy poems because of the ''violent interference of colonial and imperial history'' as Barbora Harlow described in her book.
The chapter on ‘Nasser and the Death of Elegy’ I found really interesting as some of it was linked to a postcolonial class I took last semester. The effect colonialism has on poetry and other forms of literature whether it may be novels or critical essays we now see in this chapter on Arabic poetry. There’s something about being colonized and oppressed that stirs up the spirit and enhances the mood for national liberation, especially writers who believe that they can make a difference by expressing how they feel on behalf of the colonized citizens. This is called ‘’resistance literature’’ (pg64) which boosted the writing of arab elegy poems because of the ''violent interference of colonial and imperial history'' as Barbora Harlow described in her book.
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and don't miss Mariam's comment on the West and the concept of Freedom on the previous post
:)
worth talking about next time we meet
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ok
i give you the stage
comment away
37 comments:
By reading "Nasser and the Death of Elegy in Modern Arabic poetry", I was amazed by the different allusions with which the death of the former Egyptian president, Jamal Abd al-Nasir, can be associated.Nasir's end can be an indirect interpretation of the prophet Muhammad's end; wile Nasir died after the farewell ceremonies he made to celebrate making peace between Yasir Arafat and King Hussain during the civil war between the fidaiyyin forces led by Arafat and King Hussain's army in 1967, leaving the Zionists in possession of Jerusalem and the Sinai. The prophet Muhammad also left the Byzantines in possession of Jerusalem and Galilee when he died after his farewell pilgrimage during which a group of Arab tribes professed Islam in his presence.But, I was more impressed by the association of the circumstances that surrounded Nasir's death with the ancient death and rebirth myths. These myths-like the myth of Tammuz,one of the fertility gods,and phoenix, where both Tammuz and phoenix sacrificed themselves to give life either by the seasonal renewal of nature,as in the case of Tammuz,or by creating a new phoenix from the ashes of the old one which burned itself- can be reflected through the mass procession in wich people were crying for Nasir's rebirth out of denial.
I think Shahad that u are right on the idea that after Nasser's death elegy became more public rather than private. However, did u not realise that the poet Hijazi ridiculed and emphasize how other poets are hypocrites:
"It was [the poets] who had been the guardians of the revolution. And some of them persisted in keeping their distance [from those in power] and continued to show their hostility both to the power (sulta) of the state and to the revolution" page 73
I respect the fact that Darwish reminds the people indirectly that Abdul Nasser was not a prophet but a normal human being like us except that he has this passion towards his country and the arabs. I have this feeling that the essayist is indirectly mocking the fact that Abdul Nasser fought against the colonilisation calling him a tyrant and so forth. Claiming that the Imperialists are just doing it for the sake of helping and providing peace. I am sorry if I offend anyone but I do not see that. If a country was to Dominate another country then that does not signify any aid or peace.
I admire Abdul Nasser because he had this dream that the arabs should be united as one nation. Like what happened with Syria and Egypt. I find it a very socialist ideology.I am not trying to portray Jamal as a saint because no one is perfect. I am only suggesting on why is it a harmful thing to respect a man who loves his country and would do anything to gain its independence?
Wow, interesting chapter " Nasser and the Death of Elegy in Modern Arabic Poetry". Jamal Abdul Nasser was a very strong political figure during his life time and also after his death he still remained as strong. People were very shocked by the news of his death men, women, and children went to the streets crying and screaming "Adbul Nasser la yamut", some even not believing that their beloved leader died. After his death a lot of poets and writers published books and wrote elegies in tribute of the Egyptian president. I think there is a street on his name next to Kuwait University campus in Shuwaikh if I am not mistaken. :s
Zaynab, any one person who has charisma, drive, faith and espicially followers such as Abd el Nasser is bound to have those who oppose him no matter how fantastic and good his cause. History is coloured by such individuals, Moses, Jesus, Mohammed(PBUH). Nasser had created a cult of personality that the people admired and followed, his ideals were pretty much the same as most Arab leaders today, but yet we as Arab remain disconsolate and intolderable of eachother. However, i believe what united the Arabs was Abd el Nasser for a period of time and this was expressed in the elegies, that came from a multitute of countries and not primarily limited to just Egypt.
Regarding Nasser and his "metamorphoses" into this symbolic, crusader type of idol, after his death can be seen as a simple process as the people had already idolized him long before. Since when he passed away the people were in complete denial and could not accept his death. However, this view can be contested from the fact that the masses who denied Nasser's death were from the lower class, whose intellectual level would allow them to quickly idolize Nasser. As he was considered not just a leader for a certain faction of people, but for all.
Maybe what made Nasser's death more severe would be the media, as it was able to spread the news of Nasser's death within in the Arab World much sooner than previously.
Another point is reading through Ghali Shukri's tribute to Nasser that used several mythological, religious, characters and symbols such as: "Tammuz, Christ, Osiris and the Phoenix" which indicate a great deal of tolerance from the Arab readers, not only that, DeYoung explains that this was aimed to address the "range of the poplualce than the literary elite".I find that such references to such a powerful figure are very scarce,and maybe non existent today.
Hmm...el ayaam de raahet feen, ya tara? :)
Many rulers are considered to be idols, heroes, saviors, prophets, and even god-like figures if not made to be gods’ altogether; they affect the emotions of their people, and as we know emotions play an important role when it comes to writers, particularly poets. These rulers convince their people and vow to fulfill their country’s dreams and goals. He/she become an embodiment of inspiration, liberation and even freedom.
This high regard for leaders is greatly emphasized and apparent in Luwis Awad quote (page 67), who suggests that Jamal Abdul Nasser goes through a similar death and spiritual revival like that of Mohammad PBUH (Isra and Miraj journey); Nasser had been ‘prophetized’ if I might say.
Nasser’s death was also compared to a natural cycle of life: as a Romantic death (see page 69, Shukri’s tribute to Nasser); many poets romanticize these leaders and place them on a pedestal, they could only admire them from afar, missing what should be seen close-up: they are only humans.
This promise of world peace, justice and resolutions to all problems (and due to his/her wealth and power) may seem achievable to these believers: a 1% chance is enough. In the case of Nasser, he was the man who thrived for change, but never got it the way he wanted; either way he seen as a noble person and will never die in people’s hearts as he is immortal to some “Nasser is not dead” (see page 68).
Ok, so now I have to say something about the elegy :) the elegy appears to have changed with the life and death of Nasser: his death (oddly) was a rebirth of this style of writing -which is very different from Medih or Ghazal (which are meant to be more common amongst Arabs). It is essential to note how the elegy was reinvented as modern poetry: moving from a private voice, to a public one (as mentioned by many of my colleagues).
Side note: political figures will always affect writers, poets, journalists etc. And whether we like it or not, this world -and its literature- lives and breathes politics (think of James Joyce, one of the major successful writers of the modern era; what were his major themes? Many of his themes -if not all- were political).
As many of you had already mentioned, all successful leaders are at some point considered saviors, heroes, and demi Gods. Jamal Abdul Nasser, was considered just that; due to his ability of uniting many of the Arab countries together over. However, once Nasser died, people lost hope and faith, and were not willing to let go of their savior, and weren't ready to find one that would replace him. Hence the chants held in the streets, refusing to accept Nasser's death.
The elegy was usually considered to be a form of poetry which is highly personal, which changed with the death of Nasser. Many poets felt that they were entitled to write an elegy dedicated to Nasser; due to his greatness and his strong bond with his people, and the rest of the Arab world. Such poetry writings break the traditional aspects of writing elegies; with the death of Nasser, ironically enough a modern form of writing elegies was born.
Hello:-)
In reply to Zainab and Mushira, we discussed heroic figures in general in class, and I think we kind of agreed that the notion is rather a romantic one. I suppose there’s no longer any place for romantic notions in this post-modern world. It is a sorry business, because as Dr Ebtehal mentioned in the earlier post, hope is the basis of our achievements, and if some of us find hope in heroic figures like Nasser, then what’s the harm in that?:-P
I think it’s great when political figures are noble. Because of their position, they have the power to influence a lot of people, and that could result in major changes. They’re usually well-loved by the general public too...I wonder why there aren’t a lot of them.
Anyway, it’s not very surprising that people tend to deify saviours/ heroes, etc. Most people find refuge in religious figures like prophets and saints, so it is no surprise that likening people like Nasser to a prophet brings not only comfort, but also hope and new meaning of life to some.
While I was reading the chapter, there was so much I wanted to say but now I can’t remember most of it:-S I guess there’s always the next post:-P
See you guys tomorrow!
Its true Yamama there is a street named after Abdul Nasser :)
U made a good point Mushira, there is bound to be a person who opposes a polotical figure such as Abdul Nasser.
*political :P mistyped the word.
Al-Khansa is a very strong woman. I mean to acknowledge that she did not shed a tear for her children is rather remarkable. Was she the same poetess who became blind after her brother's death (Mo'awiya)?
First of all, I just wanted to answer Zainab S's question... Yes al Khansa'a was the poetess who lost her eye sight after the loss of her two sons and her brother at war, but I think that she did lose her eyesight because of her crying as opposed to not crying at all. (Correct me if I'm wrong :D)
As for the elegy reading, to be frank, I thought that elegies were speeches or essays that talk about a dead person, i never knew that they came in the form of a poem. That alone makes it attention grabbing because poetry requires a great deal of creativity. "The man with the green shaddow" actually was very inspiring. THe first few lines got me a bit depressed, because lets face it, no one likes to read about the death of sumone, however, Darwish smartly shifts to a more positive outlook. He uses Nasser's fiest to create a better place for arabs to inspire the future generations. Lines 17-31, using Nasser's physical parts to promotes his accomplishments is very poetic yet strongly brings forth a point.
I truly wish that every single university student would be given this poem, because it really is inspiring. Even though not most would agree with Nasser's policy, but i would really wish that they would be inspired to at least stand up to what ever cause or beleif they beleive in.
Actually reading both chapters, I noticed that there is a strong link between the main subjects. The mythological aspects and myth figures are present in the first chapter by relating Adunis to the God of rebirth Tammuz, while in the secound chapter the we see the relation between Jamal Abdul Nassir and the Prophet Muhammad which could also present a mythological figure.
Amazingly, I also noticed the relationship between the search of the lost Utopia and the search of the perfect land where everyone can live in peace without any harm.
We also see Nazik al Mallaika mentioning the pain and sorrow wich could also be linked to the Elegy mentioned in the 2nd chapter.
"... For them, elegy could only be effective, could only fulfill completely its generic pattern, if it concerned someone with whom the poet had an intimate and long-standing relationship."
Initially, i agreed with the Diwan and Mahjar groups. I thought that am elegy can be truly intimate and heartfelt only if it was written by a close friend or a family member of the deceased. But when i read further on into the chapter i came to the realization that, especially with public figures, it is possible for a person to be admired and loved by the public, and Jamal Abdul Nasser's followers prove that. He singlehandedly brought people closer together, people who disagree with every other thing, but when it comes to Nasser, they all share the same beliefs (well to a superficial extent anyway). So why not express this admiration freely in a poem? And i too enjoyed reading "The Man with the Gree Shadow.." but i didnt like the modernizing effect it had with the "British Museum" and "Million kilowatts of energy" even though its there for a purpose.. i just think that it makes the poem lose its mystical aura :P
Isn't there a gate at the KU Shwaikh campus named after Jamal Abdul Nasser?
Mushira
Very true.. There are rotten apples everywhere! Anyone who is a great leader (even on the small scale, take our college for example) has to have a group of opposers.
Aisha and Zainab
AlKhansa, before Islam, cried over her brother, Sakhar. She even contemplated suicide:
"Lawla kathrat elbakeen 7awli 3ala ekhwanehem la qataltu nafsi"
But after becoming Musilm, her sons all died at war (shuhada), which is considered a very honorable thing. Of course, she is brave not to shed tears, but she must have been happy that her sons died that way. You don't have to agree, I just like to think of it that way.
Thank you for the information. It was really helpful.By the way who is this?
wow.. everyone said alot of stuff, I'm sort of blank..
There is a gate after Abdulnasser..
And apparently Dr. Hanan's brother is named after him lol..:P
What is really interesting.. is how our discussion in class last time raised a different view. Yasmine said that Abdulnasser did more for the arabs than the egyptians. And Dr. Ebtehal confirmed that he was more of an Arab than an egyptian.. which explains why all Arabs love him..and egypt is more divided into people who do and people who don't really appreciate him. It just gives us an alternative reading..which really disturbs in a way..because we're not really getting the whole picture, there's more than one picture anyway, more than one view..
But back to what Aisha had said, it doesnt matter if you're on his side or not, but it's just the fight..fighting for a cause, believing in something, giving it your all..just like he did. that's inspiration..that's courage.
To be completely honest, once I read "The Man with The Green Shadow" my brain went blank. I was just blown away by the intensity of the poem. Having read the first few lines, it was hard to determine what I felt, at times I sensed betrayal, why was it that the poet chose to say "when you die, we try not to die with you!" all I thought was "why?? Your hero is not worth dying for?!!?"
But after reading over and over again, my interpretation changed. It was no longer betrayal, instead, choosing not to die with him (the hero) only makes the memory of him last. By choosing to go on, there will be times where the name of their hero would be mentioned, and thereby the figure will live on in people's memory.
P.s thank you Shahad for elaborating how "Nasser" got his I name: P. I always wondered why it had the extra "Abdul": P lol
Wow this is getting exciting :P
It's goignt o be hard to add something to all that has been said. You guys are good! :P But I just wanted to say that I actually had a longer chat with my mother, and turns out her family was one of the 'aristocrats' that got into a mess during that time :P so yeah, she is a little biased. I'm afraid to say she sees the other side of history. Combining both the information from this chapter, and my family's I feel like I know more about Nasser than I ever thought I would. I do not see him with one eye, this oppurtunity has given me a double vision. He was a hero, but he was also human. He tried to do the impossible, and was an idealis in thinking that one man could unite nations without any bitterness in the end. I remember being taught that there is no such as History "with a capital 'H', there are 'histories'. There are always two sides or even more to every story.
Going back to the actual chapter, it is noticeable how both sides are mentioned. As Dr. Ebtehal had mentioned in class, Abdul Nasser's death was not only a chance for his admirers to mourn his loss deeply, but also for those who opposed him to forgive him. It is as Hijazi accurately explains: "Death liberates the hero fromt henoose of wordly power and makes him again a citizen among his fellow ciizens".
Moving on to Darwish's poem, "The Man with the Green Shadow". I was captured by not only the feel of the poem, but also the strucutre, symbols, and metaphors. For example, if we take the lines "You are not a prohpet/But your shadow is green", the reader feels the reality of Nasser's identity; Drawish eliminates the general poetic/Romantic idea of Nasser's prophecy and replaces it with a green shadow. Green is not only the colour of fertility, life, and nature. It is also a colour of hope. Hence, one could see it as a sort of Eden that the poet (and probably a large population of the Arab world) imagined Nasse would be in.
Additionally, Darwish ends the poem with a very optimistic tone: although Nasser has died people will continue "Moving/Ever onward,/Ever on.
What a beautiful way to end my entry :)
Lol you can say that again Shahd! Ive gone cross-eyed!!! Though really great points guys :D
enjoyed reading Fatimas post as it’s exactly what I was thinking when reading this chapter! The ties between this chapter and the previous is very obvious, what I found more interesting than the mythological aspect was the connection to Islamic teachings such as the Israa and Miiraj that these Arabic poets seem to love to relate to, possibly because of the romantic notion of it being a journey to the heavens, making it a very great topic to allude to when writing poetry about a political figure admired by many that passed away as Awad did in his poem. Taking a story from the Quran and making it fit Jamal Abd al Nasser I think was a great idea as Jamal didn’t just represent Egypt but the whole Arab world so what better story to choose other than one from the Quran that’s well-known and loved throughout the Arab/Islamic countries.
:( I am such a bad typer... sorry about all the spelling mistakes.
even though a lot of people might have not agreed with his ways, a lot of people did.. and he is undeniably a hero to a lot of arabs .. even Dr ebtehal's dad cried over his death more than he did over his own father's.. i cant really think of any other modern arab heroes,, can you?
the previous comment was posted by me, sorry :p
Hello everyone,
In our discussion so far we brought up how the elegy was necessary in battling colonialism. I guess the point behind that was that the elegy was needed to indoctrinate the oppressed masses. The people in general needed a hero not a symbol of no more hope, so an elegy towards the figures who had died during any war etc was necessary.
Today we can see that the elegy has even een replaced by photos and propagandist films of suicide bombers. They are represented as heroes and thier posters and photos are around after thier death so that people may admire them. We can even assert that elegies are propagadist material in themselves.
I also agree about the link with earlier chapters. Every utopia and every exiled mass is looking for a leader/shepherd, to lead them back to it. For a while (and for many) it was Nasser, which can explain the concern taken into eulogising him.
That is the problem with blogs... if u just miss one day... u have to catch up really quickly. I have nothing to say because I would then basically repeat what u all said. I rest my case :P
All I am saying is that u made great comments and I cannot add smthing.
Hi all, remember in class when we mentioned the war that basically ended Nasser's life. It was called the Six Day War or the Arab-Israeli War of 1967, it lasted for six days and it was between Israel and the Arab countries of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan (United Arab Republic). The war ended on June 5, 1967 when Israeli forces captured the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank of the Jordan River, Old City of Jerusalem, and the Golden Heights. From that time on Jamal Abdul Nasser lived in a low profile for three or four years until he died of a heart attack.
Hello everyone:-)
I also asked my mother about how my family’s general reaction was when Nasser passed away in 1970. She said my grandmother – like Dr Ebtehal’s father-in-law – cried like she would cry for the death of any family member, or even more. She also said that to them, any person who dared to defy Israel (whether they fail or succeed, whether they’re logical or illogical) is a hero. And the truth is that is the way I was brought up too: to believe that we must always fight, and that anyone who does is a hero.
Moving on to the chapter (:-P), Darwish’s poem ‘The Man with the Green Shadow’ made me think of the concept of the saviour/ hero that we discussed earlier, lines 38-40 (Green/ Green/ Green?) particularly. It feels as though by the third time the poet says “green” he is starting to lose hope, or more accurately, question his obvious devotion for Nasser. After that, though, he starts to reminisce, and goes on to repeat the first verse. This gives a hopeful effect which is really pleasant. It’s as though he’s trying to convince himself that he is not mistaken in his admiration for such a figure as Nasser, and he succeeds. I wonder if that makes sense! These are my thoughts in the order they popped into my head as I read those lines:-P
Have a great weekend!:-D
PS Today’s Al-Qabbas paper came with a small book about Nazik Al-Malaika;-)
I have been discussing with family members and friends asking about what they felt about Jamal Abdul Nasser..
And of course, everyone had a different opinion, some were with and some weren't.. Something caught my attention and it was something I thought was positive but seemed to be negative!
[Disclaimer: this is and extracted opinion, so don't attack me!]Nasser was pushing for "Il Uma il Arabiya" (An Arabic Nation)? Why not "Il Uma il Ismaliya" (Islamic Nation) are they two separate things now? Many criticized this "tafreeq" (division).. You can have a "Uma Islamiya" and have Christians, Jews and so fourth living in it; so why Arabic and not Islamic?
Secondly, some say he started quite a few wars; and because of those wars, Egypt suffered a lot (plenty of bloodshed) and is still suffering. Tell me what you think? To tell you the truth, in my head right now, I can't seem form a positive OR negative opinion until I hear one of his speeches (particularly the attempted assassination one)..
LooL sorry for the 'typos' in the first two paragraphs.
If there is something unclear, I'll clarify..
Good point, Maryam;-) I think the Arabic World and the Islamic World are two different things. I remember in one of my Arabic classes, the teacher always stressed the difference between the them (especially the difference between Islamic law and Arabic traditions). There were many foreigners in the class, and I guess he didn’t want them to get the wrong image of Islam.
I think we confuse the two things all the time. For example, when we see an Arabic person we almost always expect them to be Muslim. Contrariwise, when we see a Westerner, we expect them to embrace another religion. But I don’t thing it’s very strange that we do this (although it is wrong). Islam started in this part of the world, and it is most prevalent over here. I guess it is human nature to generalise, stereotype, and confuse things:-P In colloquial Arabic, we always say “haram” about something we feel is sad, or wrong, etc., but most of the time, it isn’t actually:-P So when Nasser wanted “il Uma il Arabiya,” I suppose he didn’t want to alienate non-Muslim Arabs. It’s more correct to call us “il Um ail Arabiya” rather than “Islamiya.”
Sorry about that! That was my comment (I hit the enter button too early:-P).
Maryam,
Why call it IlUma IlIslameya when you can call it IlUma IlArabya? Wouldn't that make us more united? There are lots of Arabs who aren't Muslims. Therefore, Abdul Nasser probably went for the thing we all have in common, rather than for something we don't all relate to. In other words, we are all Arabs, but we aren't all Muslims.
:)
Dear God!! I love the fact that many comments have been put here, but it just makes the job harder to add comments! :'( I know this might sound lame, but it's soo kool that Jamal AbdulNasser wasn't just a political figure, I guess he was a "Celebrity". I only mention that because I've once seen a picture back in the 70's with my mom wearing a t-shirt with a picture of "a guy" and i was like "mama who's that?" and she goes "Jamal AbdulNasser". So I guess he was concidered the Bono of the time. hmm... Now if only I could find that picture I would try to bring it to class :P (thought it would be kool to mention :D)
Hey thats nice, I hope that u find the t-shirt without any trouble :)
The aspects of the death of Jamal Abd Al-Nasir can be considered as a "task ready-made" for elegies, especially after the elegy has changed from being a private voice to a public one over the years. Elegies transform the lives of heros into a myth that can be carried by generations along the years. In "The Man with the Green Shadow", Darwish mourned with poeple for the death of this heroic political figure and elegized it as a response to the call of the public for his rebirth, since poetry addresses itself to the nation.
Wow, Aisha! i want that t-shirt! how much would u want if u could get some replicas?!
I wanted to ask you all if you dont mind that a graduate student attend our classes, as he needs to recap on some literary studies for his Masters degree. i asked Dr. Ebtehal and she explained that i need to know if it all right with all of you. Please let me know as soon as you can.
Thanks!
Now, I guess we can see that there are mixed feelings about Nasser, but it must be acknowledged that a whole literary field was turned upside down due to his passing.
the elegy, a personal literary form not only became public, but became political as well. Writers could write how they felt and semi-describe how the people felt as well (since not all the masses felt the same as the intellectuals). Not only that, but for the egyptian government to publish a collection that included some of the writers new work is a huge achievment and shows the effect of the literary movement and on the government. That even they somewhat agree that Nasser was not a perfect leader.
I don't mind, u have my consent :P
Right, did anyone read the next chapter that we were supposed to read? Anyways just thought of commenting on the chapter. From what I understood, it discusses the uncertainties of life and how it is complex to interpret it, therefore the fragmentation of the poems. This can be related to T.S Eliot's The Wasteland, where the poem is filled with different speakers that are hard to identify. Arab poets of the modern period have similar characteristics. They comment about something at a distance rather than personalising their experiences. For instance, the poem "Criticiszing pain" consists of " [. . .] a totally controlled, unemotional,but still rich and humane,way. In a memory of a friend who died in south Lebanon [.]" The critic emphasized the way in which the poet addresses "the friend" rather than his friend.
I would like to add another quote by the essayist, commenting about the positive aspect of fragmentation "The fragmented self is definately a freer self. It is, in a way, as if an iron encasement has been blown up and shattered, creating a feeling of panic and a certain degree of loss of direction and orientation. But in this state of dispersal and loss, the soul suddenly breathes the fresh breeze from virgin forests [.]
This might be out of the subject but I couldn't help to resist the temptation of teasing those who hate psychoanalysis. You will understand what I mean by reading these few lines "[...] my first footstep to the first legs to light up my body, to make me recognize it and recognize the narcissus in me."
Ok I have said enough I should give u the chance to comment on the chapter.
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