Edith Sitwell 1946 and Nazik Al Malaka 2007 as Modern Arabic and Western Feminist Poetry Role Models

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Alaa Mahdi Mazhar Al-Breej ¹

Hosain Sayyedi ²

Zargham Ghabanchi ³

¹ PhD Candidete in Arabic language and literature, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran

² Professor in Arabic Language and Literature, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

³ Associate Professor in English Language and Literature, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22067/jallv15.i1.2208-1179

Abstract

Employing myth is one of the aesthetic expressive tools used by modern poets in their poetry. Its use in modern poetry is so prevalent that it has become one of the most important phenomena in modern and contemporary literature, distinguishing it as a feature of modern literature. Almost every poetic work contains symbolic and mythological references. In an attempt to find a style that harmonizes with nature, female poets often incorporate myth, creating metaphorical or miraculous images. Myths are present in the poems of women poets, and many of them utilize these myths to convey messages about their poetic conditions, as well as their philosophical and intellectual existence in life.This study adopts a comparative analytical approach to reveal the manifestations of myth in feminist poetry. The researcher sheds light on feminist literature and the influence of Western literature on Arab culture through a comparison between two examples of female poets from modern literature: Edith Sitwell (1887-1964) and Nazik Al-Malaika (1923-2007). The aim of this study is to explore the mythological content in the poems of contemporary female poets, specifically focusing on how myth is employed in modern feminist poetry and its intensive invocation between these two poets.The results indicate that there is an influence of Western literature on the poetic development of Nazik Al-Malaika, with evidence showing that Greek symbols dominate her poetic texts. Additionally, she incorporates some religious myths based on Christian narratives into her discourse. On the other hand, Edith Sitwell creates unfamiliar symbols and images from her own imaginative world.Through this study of the employment of myth in Arab and Western literature, the mythic image is manifested in the imaginative features of the two poets. This expression of artistic linguistic text is blended with elements that are relevant to reality. The present study represents the first attempt to explore this concept by examining both cultures. It becomes evident that the use of myth serves as a means to revisit the primal origins of life.

Keywords

Arabic Modern

Myth

poetry

Nazik al-Malaika

Edith Sitwell

Subjects

• Literary Criticism

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