Poverty and Suffering in the Poetry of Badr Shakir al-Sayyab

Abstract

This study will address "Poverty and Suffering in the Poetry of Badr Shakir al-Sayyab." The Iraqi poet Badr Shakir al-Sayyab is considered one of the most prominent pioneers of the free verse movement in the Arab world, and his poetic experience is an honest reflection of the social and political reality he experienced. His bitter personal experience with poverty, which began in his village of Jikur and continued throughout his life in the city, served as a primary source of inspiration for his poetry. For al-Sayyab, poverty and suffering were not merely a passing subject; rather, they were a philosophical and existential axis that connected the self, society, and the universe. This research aims to analyze the manifestations of poverty and suffering in al-Sayyab's poetry, revealing their psychological, social, and philosophical dimensions, with a focus on how he transformed this harsh experience into refined artistic material. The manifestations of poverty are manifested in al-Sayyab's poetry in a tangible and sensual manner, transcending simple description to touch upon the essence of reality. These manifestations can be divided into material poverty and hunger. Al-Sayyab depicts hunger not only as an individual condition, but as a collective condition that dominates the lives of the poor. Images of the "starving," the "naked," and the "poor children" clinging to their last breath recur in his poetry. The poet uses powerful symbols such as "bread" and "water" to express the daily struggle for survival. As for the suffering of work and toil, Al-Sayyab pays special attention to the plight of workers and peasants, who toil under harsh conditions without reaping the fruits of their labor. He describes their exhausted bodies, their chapped hands, and their sense of injustice. He links their suffering to the absence of social justice, giving his poetry a revolutionary dimension against oppression.