Üç Şair - Tek Direniş: Suriyeli Şairler ve Fransız İşgali’ne Karşı Şiirsel Başkaldırı
Three Poets - One Resistance: Syrian Poets and Poetic Rebellion Against the French Occupation

Summary/Abstract: This study delves into the ways in which Khayr al-Din al-Zirikli, Khalil Mardam Bey and Badawi al-Jabal, poets living in French-occupied Syria between 1920 and 1946, employed their literature as a tool of resistance. The work evaluates the poets' oeuvres from a historical, social, and literary perspective. The research analyzes how poetry transformed into a political and cultural weapon in the anti-colonial struggle, synthesizing classical Arabic poetic forms with modern themes of resistance and assessing the role of these texts in fostering national consciousness. The article explores the process by which poetry became the voice of the people in the context of the political fragmentation, cultural assimilation, and social traumas brought about by the French occupation of Syria. The works of the three poets employ traditional Arabic poetic techniques, such as the ʿarūḍ meter, and are enriched with literary devices like metaphor, allusion, and imagery. Methodologically, the study combines thematic analysis of the poems with an examination of the reciprocal relationship between historical events and literary production. Al-Zirikli’s poem “Al-Fajiʿa” (The Catastrophe) conveys the devastation of the Battle of Maysalun and the impact of the occupation on symbolic spaces, contrasting the helplessness of the people with their will to resist. Mardam Bey’s ”Yawm al-Faza’ al-Akbar” (The Day of Great Horror) depicts concrete traumas such as the bombing of Damascus, emphasizing interfaith solidarity and collective memory. Al-Jabal’s “Inni la-Ashmatu bi'l-Jabbar” (I Mock the Tyrant) constructs an anti-imperialist discourse through imagery of historical heroism, merging the desire for vengeance with a universal call for justice. This study aims to demonstrate that these poems not only represent a local form of resistance but also embody the literary representation of universal human values such as justice, freedom, and dignity. It examines how these poets introduce a new perspective on Arab identity and challenge colonialism by blending classical poetic forms with contemporary themes. Ultimately, the research highlights the political power of poetry and its role in shaping Syria's national identity.

• Details
• Contents