Review of Palestine poet Mahmoud Darwish’s poem

  Review of Palestine poet Mahmoud Darwish’s poem

To a Young Poet

 TRANSLATED BY FADY JOUDAH

I request readers to read the poem first from the above link and then only my review.

We see so many ads in social media on workshops how to write poetry. But poet Mahmoud Darwish has given all the tips and motivation for the next gen poets. He has elaborately told what all a young poet can equip herself with, and how she should go about the art and craft of writing a poem. I need not write a review at all. The poem is very clear and direct. Still I would highlight some expressions in the poem which are very important for me as a poet.

(1)If you read our work, let it not be an extension of our airs,

but to correct our errs

in the book of agony.

 

Is he very polite and hyping the potential of the next gen? No. He means it. Poetry has come a long way from classical era to modern and postmodern era and the wonderful improvement in form and content has been the achievement of various poets over ages. The genre has been consistently better understood and manifested by newer poets all over the world.

(2)One thousand birds in the hand

don’t equal one bird that wears a tree.

 

    What a poetic expression! A bird wears a tree!

(3)Deviate, with all your might, deviate from the rule.

     This has lots in store for a new poet. An upcoming poet looks for models, and often ends up thinking the published ones are the models and carry some rules and all that. The genre carries immense potential for us to explore. Next gen poets will make me wonder why I never carried this much creativity, imagination and versatility.

(4)What doesn’t resemble me is more beautiful.

        Please do not duplicate or replicate. Please write whole new original poems the poet reminds us.

(5)No advice in love. It’s experience.

No advice in poetry. It’s talent.

       What is the meaning of these two ending lines? Simple. Enjoy. Enjoy the process. Live the process. Give everything in you for the theme and enjoy the craft and content process.

 

     The grip over the genre poetry is never easy. The passion and the devotion and the zeal to imagine completely whole new are all about poetry.

 

     Very rarely poets write on the art and craft of poetry because it’s like swimming after a cool dive without a coach. We must thank this poet for his kindness.

 

h