Women in the Narrative Poetry of Fahd al-Askar: ‘May God Fight Her Mother and Her Father’ as a Model

Abstract

This study deals with the narrative poem in the poetry of Fahd al-Askar, taking the poem “May God Fight Her Mother and Her Father” as a model for this kind of poetry which the poet uses to criticize his society and its outdated traditions. In the poem ‘May God Fight Her Mother and Her Father’, Fahd al-Askar uses poetic language to present a narrative describing a very important social issue that depicts the reality of women and the unjust societal pressures she is subjected to and that prevent her from the basic right of choosing a life companion.

The study relied on the descriptive analytical approach in the analysis of the poem, aiming to reveal its central elements represented by the narrator, the main character, as well as other characters that revolve around it. It delved into the event and the idea expressed in the poem, in addition to other narrative components such as time, place, and description.

The study concluded by emphasizing the poet's ability to assume the role of a storyteller to express a social incident beyond himself within a complete narrative structure. He crafted it in a clear and smooth poetic language, thereby bridging the aesthetics of poetry and narrative together. The enlightening role undertaken by the poet Fahad al-Askar in that advanced stage, especially regarding women's rights, was evident. This stance was contrary to the prevailing direction in society at that time.