A study of the symbols of hyena and herd of antelope in poet Tamim Al-Barghouthi’s ode Mesr

Abstract

Using “Figures of Thought/Speech” (or as abbreviated so forth: “Figures”) is, generally speaking, a literary technique to make the recipient pleasure and impress her or him. These figures have important symbols within, and everybody can learn from them. Great Arab poets, both ancient and contemporary, have tried their best to make figures in their poems. They use figures to say their subject indirectly, because by indirect speaking, they can talk about political and social affairs of their society; and more importantly, indirect speaking is, in comparison with direct speaking, more beautiful and excites the recipients more. One the contemporary poets who is brilliant in making figures is poet Tamim Al-Barghouthi. One of his famous odes is named Mesr (Egypt). There, Al-Barghouthi advocates Islamic nations (Islamic Ummah) and stands against their predator enemies. Hyena is the symbol used to refer these enemies and also to any cruel person who wants to destroy Islam’s sacredness. A herd of antelope is the symbol of Islamic nations who are not united and therefore are dispersed. The poet wishes and seeks the herd of antelope (Arab nations) to unite and resist against hyena (their common enemy). In other words, the poet invites, using figures and with a symbolic language, all Arab nations to brotherhood and to unite against enemies. Last to say is about the method of this study; it is descriptive-analytic.