Binaries: A Study in the Poetry of Mahmoud Darwish

Abstract

This study aims at reconsidering Mahmoud Darweesh's poetic texts from a critical point of view through studying the structural binary pairs which sometimes conform, thus framing the poetic texts, and some other times oppose, due to the context which Darweesh addresses. Consequently, binary opposition and concordance form the two facets of the human conflict that has not yet reached its end, despite the continuing struggle and strife between the poet and his binary pairs. Therefore, the verses as well as the vision have witnessed repetition, as revealed by some selected poetic texts. Consequently, Darweesh's poetic message has not yet reached the stage where it can unveil vision. Through these poetic texts, the binary pairs reach one answer. One can see the vocabulary as well as reference keep recurring in Darweesh's collection of poems, which make them interact and intermingle irregularly, which in turn raises the question of poetic performance and its literary function.