State of the Field—Mahmoud Darwish and His Poetics: Between Women and Intellectual Duties

Abstract

Abstract This article focuses on women and love in Mahmoud Darwish's cultural and intellectual projects. Darwish (1941–2008), the most well-known Palestinian poet and author, evolved over time within the milieu of Palestinian and Arab poetic trends. How did his poetics affect women's status on both national and social levels? To what extent did women's issues or status in society preoccupy Mahmoud Darwish before and after the signing of the Oslo Peace Accords in 1994? Finally, to what degree did the poet's writings vis-à-vis women reflect his personal experiences and values? The article finds that in the early part of his career he used imagery that fused the woman with the homeland. In his later years, Darwish sided with those who argued that the improvement of the status of women must wait until after Palestinian independence is achieved.