Resistance in verse : a study of Tawfiq Zayyad’s Arabic poetry

Abstract

The following dissertation presents a literary analysis of selected poems by Tawfiq Zayyad, exploring his role as both a poet and politician in shaping Palestinian resistance. The poems are examined within the socio-political context of the Palestinian question, focusing on the expression of collective identity, nationalism and steadfastness through accessible language. The goal of this study is to understand how his poetic voice influences the Palestinian resistance literature, by joining literary expression with political commitment. This research adopts a qualitative approach, and the data collection includes a selection of thirteen poems based on the overarching theme of resistance and its sub-themes. The analysis applies multiple frameworks, such as Arabic rhetorical theory, ideological discourse analysis, thematic analysis, speech act theory to interpret the literary and thematic strategies within the poems. Attention is given to devices such as metaphor, repetition, symbolism and performative language were studied in detail to show how Zayyad’s work functions both as literature and as means of resistance while engaging readers or listeners in acts of political and emotional solidarity. This study argues that Zayyad’s accessible poetic strategies and oral emphasis contribute to mobilising various Palestinian audiences, from those under occupation to those in exile, shifting poetry into a space of cultural resilience and political assertion. The study addresses a gap in existing scholarship by giving detailed close readings of lesser-studied poems in English language literature. It argues that Zayyad’s poetry is not only for the record of historical struggle but also an active instrument of mobilisation that nurtures identity, nationalism and resistance in the face of oppression.