Multicultural and Cosmopolitan Identity in Relation to Cross-Cultural Conversation in Arab-American Poetry: Naomi Shihab Nye

Abstract

The poetry of Naomi Shihab Nye exemplifies the complexities of identity issues operating in a culture that is fraught with racial and political intensity. Although the poet has repeatedly mentioned the impact of her experience in Palestine on the formation of her poetic vision and consciousness, she does not resist -or separate herself from- the influence of American literary tradition and culture. Her multicultural identity embraces the two cultures by presenting the amalgamation of both Arab heritage and American experience. Thus, Nye's poetry shows how this Arab-American identity develops to be cosmopolitan as she sees herself as a "citizen of the world". This cosmopolitanism plays an important role in cross-cultural conversation which is based on acceptance and respect of difference. Her poetry is a message to all people and other hyphenated literary writers to celebrate their difference and use it to connect the various cultures in the world.