A Study of the Mask of Tammuz in Badr Shaker al-Sayyab's poetry

زبان و ادبیات عربی

Article 2, Volume 3, Issue 5, January 2012   

Document Type: research article

DOI: 10.22067/jall.v3i5.11232

Author

Dr. Ali Habibi^*

Abstract

Fable and myths- as one of the foundations of ancient heritage-have found a valuable function in modern poetry, and various literary techniques have been created to use them in a richer field. Modern Arab poets utilize these myths to raise the level of their own personal poetic experience to a humanistic level. They create a new implication out of mythical personality ,identical to their own experience. To give a profound impression to their poetry they use the most effective literary techniques, from which the mask is the most efficient one.
Mask of Tammuz is one of the most frequent ones in modern Arabic poetry and Badr Shaker al-Sayyab is considered one of the pioneers in this field. He believes in the idea of death, renewal and resurrection. He applies Tammuz fable to his poetic experiences in different literary ways, e.g. invocation, inspiration and mask processing. The following issues will be discussed in this paper regarding the usage of Tammuz mask in his poetry:
- Tammuz mask and the replacement of goddess (Isther ( for Sayyab's beloved Wafigha
- Combining of Tammuz mask with other similar fables or mythical personalities (poly phony )
- Tammuz love for (Isther ) and the hope for political and social revolution
- Tammuz mask and disappointment form renewal and resurrection.

Key words: al-Sayyab,Tammuz ,mask , contemporary Arabic poetry.