Egypt in modern Sudanese poetry: Vision and technical tools

Abstract

This research studies Egypt in a selected sample of poems of modern Sudanese poetry. The study used the textual method to analyze stylistic and technical aspects of the poems chosen for this study. Sudanese poets have different views of Egypt based on their culture and psychological makeup and literary approach. Some poets had a simple vision despite their elevated diction, artificial rhetoric, and lifeless pathos; others had a more complex vision especially those who saw in Egypt the central state, with its science, history and civilization, and the ability to move the Arabs to wider horizons. The conservative poets relied heavily on stylistics and symbolic language expressions and intensified their structural formulations to meet the public’s tastes for clamor. Some used modern techniques like the narration, storytelling, and the internal monologue to express their visions. It was found that most texts analyzed in this study used the Khalili prosodics with the exception of a few new direction poets who used free verse to express themselves with smooth musicality without barriers as long as their poetry was fueled with profound passion, proper conscience, and a sense of simplicity. The Sudanese poet did not get rid of his old presentation of the image considering it a means for explanation, clarification, and extreme exaggeration. The image, therefore, appeared to be sensual and largely an imitation of ancient types. This, however, does not prevent the emergence of new forms.

Keywords

• Modern Sudanese poetry, Egypt, dream, language, longing, music, nostalgia.