Modality Construction of the Arabic Identity in Mahmoud Darwish’s Poetry

Ahmad Al-Ghamdi, N. & Esam Mukhtar Alarabi, H. (2019). Modality Construction of the Arabic Identity in Mahmoud Darwish’s Poetry. ELS Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities, 2(2), 239-252.

14 Pages Posted: 8 Aug 2019 Last revised: 12 Aug 2019

See all articles by Naimah Al-Ghamdi

Naimah Al-Ghamdi

Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU)

Hadeel Esam Mukhtar Alarabi

Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU)

Date Written: August 5, 2019

Abstract

Identity expression can be seen at either a personal or a social level. It can be shown in several ways, particularly through poetry. Therefore, this paper seeks to examine how identity is expressed modally in Darwish’s famous poem “Identity Card”. Leech’s (1974) theory of “seven types of meaning” is used as the theoretical framework for the study. As the study aims to figure out how modality is constructed when expressing identity in the poem, this linguistic norm has been used to track the mood and attitude of the poets in the composition of the stanzas. The findings of the study revealed that identity is expressed modally in the sensations that Mahmoud Darwish carries for the Palestinian, Arab, National, Cultural, Geographical and Historical identities. His language enacted the way he feels towards these six components of his belongings. Nationalism is seen as an important perspective in the affiliations of Darwish. The national identity is, however, the central concept of the poem. The modality provides a rough picture of what is going on in his mind as he experiencing the loss of land. It also comes in harmony with the general cultural context that contributes to his poetic experiences.

Keywords: Modality, Identity, Meaning, Attitude, Darwish, Leech, Semantic, Language

Suggested Citation

Al-Ghamdi, Naimah and Alarabi, Hadeel Esam Mukhtar, Modality Construction of the Arabic Identity in Mahmoud Darwish’s Poetry (August 5, 2019). Ahmad Al-Ghamdi, N. & Esam Mukhtar Alarabi, H. (2019). Modality Construction of the Arabic Identity in Mahmoud Darwish’s Poetry. ELS Journal on Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities, 2(2), 239-252., Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3432426

Naimah Al-Ghamdi (Contact Author)

Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU) ( email )

Dammam
Saudi Arabia

Hadeel Esam Mukhtar Alarabi

Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU)

Dammam
Saudi Arabia

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