Scan barcode
A review by rosepoints
Unfortunately, It Was Paradise: Selected Poems by Mahmoud Darwish
4.0
something that always strikes me about darwish’s poetry is the lyrical imagery in them and the vivid detail afforded to nature and its landscapes. through his words alone, i feel as though i am transported to the palestine of darwish’s memories, dotted with olive trees and scented with the aroma of oranges and figs. it is beautifully tragic when juxtaposed with the theme of exile that runs through his poetry.
something in particular that i enjoyed about this collection of poems was the attention to mythology. darwish includes homages to canaanite gods and mesopotamian legends alongside references to the abrahamic religions: cain and abel, ishmael and his lute, and the hoopoe that carried messages between king solomon and the queen of sheba in the qu’ran. for readers who may not be familiar with these kinds of references, i found the glossary in the back to be incredibly helpful.
something in particular that i enjoyed about this collection of poems was the attention to mythology. darwish includes homages to canaanite gods and mesopotamian legends alongside references to the abrahamic religions: cain and abel, ishmael and his lute, and the hoopoe that carried messages between king solomon and the queen of sheba in the qu’ran. for readers who may not be familiar with these kinds of references, i found the glossary in the back to be incredibly helpful.