The Symbolism of the Greening of Resistance in Samih al-Qasim's Poetry: An Ecocritical Reading

Abstract

Symbolism plays a crucial role in creating depth in poetic imagery. Samih al-Qasim, the symbolic architect of contemporary Arabic literature, masterfully utilizes elements of nature to channel the suffering and hopes of the Palestinian people. This study investigates the symbolism of nature elements in Samih al-Qasim's poem entitled خطاب في سوق البطالة (A Speech in the Unemployment Market) through an ecocritical lens. The analysis reveals Samih al-Qasim's novel orientation in composing nature symbols: they function not merely as rhetorical ornamentation, but as a medium of resistance that merges the poet's persona with natural elements such as the earth, sun, and fire. The findings indicate that the nature symbolism in the poem is a manifestation of the Greening of Resistance, fundamentally rejecting the anthropocentric worldview. This rejection is realized through the fusion of the poet's self into nature, creating a biotic community where the fate of humans and the environment are integrated. Consequently, resistance in Samih al-Qasim's poetry is not only a human political effort but a collective endeavor of the entire ecosystem, asserting that the preservation of the non-human environment is equivalent to the struggle for liberation.