Symbolism of Rain in Contemporary Saudi Poetry

(Mohammed bin Mishal Twairqi)

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Abstract

This study shows that rain in contemporary Saudi poetry does not function only as a description of a cosmic phenomenon in the observable external nature, but also as a polysemic symbol of hope and deprivation, of at-homeness and exile, as well as an epiphanic moment of life and death. The study also shows that while the portrait of rain in contemporary Saudi poetry is part and parcel of the larger matrix of Arabic poetry, yet the Saudi poet has his own special vision. This vision is upheld by determinants of its own that ultimately bring it in harmony with the Islamic vision and at the same time distance it from those pagan rituals and errant beliefs that infiltrated that matrix in the pre-Islamic era. Finally, the study shows that contemporary Saudi poets benefited from their fellow modern Arab poets by interacting with, assimilating, and reinventing their various experiences. Key Words: Contemporary Poetry, Rain, Saudi
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