The Religious Sacred as a Dominant Framework In the Poetry of Kazem Al-Samawi

Abstract

Kazem Al-Samawi successfully employed the sacred religious elements as a dominant framework In his poetry, drawing inspiration from revered religious figures such as Abu Dhar Al-Ghafari, transforming them into symbols of rebellion, resistance, and defiance. Through this employment, Al-Samawi did not merely invoke these figures as religious icons but recontextualized them within modern social and political settings, making them artistic tools that express the concerns of contemporary Arab individuals.

The sacred religious element in Al-Samawi’s poetry was not merely decorative but played an actIve role in shaping the intellectual and aesthetic structure of his texts. Through it, he was able to articulate his existential, social, and political crises, infusing his poetry with a profound humanistic dimension that transcends the conventional. This approach establishes a modern poetic vision that draws from heritage without being confined by it.

The character of Abu Dharr al-Ghifari in his poetry became a symbol of steadfastness and resistance against injustice and tyranny. The invocation of religious figures contributed to enhancing the symbolic dimension of the texts, giving them profound intellectual and aesthetic dimensions. Al-Samawi revealed patterns of oppression and injustice through the use of religious sanctity, as patterns of resistance intersected with patterns of hegemony in his texts. The invocation of religious symbols was not merely a repetition of heritage, but rather came within the context of a new reading that re-projected the past onto the present.