Love in the Poetry of ‘Atika al-Khazraji

Abstract

The poetry of ‘Atika al-Khazraji is imbued with the preoccupation of love within the framework of the woman’s experience of it, through which the poetic self articulates its vision, philosophy, and emotions. This aspect of her poetic subject matter reveals concepts that disclose the essence of the feminine self and its particular need for love. In the poet’s texts, love emerges as a space for expressing its manifestations and repercussions in relation to the Divine Self, the man, and the place that embraces the positions of the self and its relationships.

The poet’s selection of themes that openly articulate the daily experience of love is manifested through references to scenes and sensations whose trajectories signify the living bond between the woman and the beloved with whom she remains connected, whether spatially or spiritually.