Writing the Self in Saudi Poetry: Reading Contemporary Forms

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to identify prominent topics and ideas in contemporary poetry, analyze selected texts, deconstruct their symbols and signs, and derive distinguishing artistic features and employed techniques. It explores the modern vision of these techniques and their aesthetic implications, contributing to Saudi Arabia's vision for 2030. Methods: The study employs an analytical approach, actively engaging with the texts and utilizing all relevant resources to shed light on them. The nature of the texts allows for multiple perspectives, reflecting their openness to vision and their authors' diverse cultural backgrounds, requiring varied analytical methods. Results: The study reveals that the experiences of these poets are characterized by several noteworthy aspects. They skillfully adapt language to express modern life, incorporating contemporary vocabulary and reflecting the identities and perspectives of young people, including deviations in the timeline. The poetic self embodies values of rebelliousness, challenge, and audacity, departing from conventional metaphors to present original pieces derived from their unique vision. The poets employ various artistic techniques, including metaphor, narration, repetition, signatures, chorus, opposite binaries, dynamic time, symbols, aesthetics of the ego (Al-Hajjaj), and exclusion of the "ego" from the texts, which manifests in diverse forms and circumstances. Conclusions: This generation of poets has skillfully developed artistic tools that reflect their unique identity and vision of the universe and life. Their poetry creates distinctive worlds, leaving a lasting mark on the literary landscape. This tendency towards self-expression and ambitious modernization defines their rich and distinct body of work.