The Prostitute / City Analogy in Modern Arabic Poetry

Abstract

Within a trans-cultural perspective, this paper explores the image of the city in modern Arabic
poetry in order to investigate the city / prostitute dialectics in addition to other trajectories integral
to the Arab socio-political context. The paper compares and contrasts city images in Arabic and
English poetry in order to underline common thematic interest linking these two literary traditions.
The paper argues that the Arab poet's attitude toward the city is shaped by local economic /
political realities different from western concepts. In Arabic poetry, the hostile attitude toward the
city is not only due to imitation of western poets but also because of the peculiar nature of the Arab
metropolis . In the Arab world, the city is the centre of political / military establishments and
police institutions which are abhorred and despised by the Arab people. The Arab poet’s hostile
attitude toward the city is intensified by what the city represents as a symbol of persecution,
governmental corruption, police brutalities and oppressive / repressive policies advocated by puppet
regimes. Therefore, the capital Arab city, the abode of tyrannical regimes, is frequently viewed as a
prostitute. However, the feminine representation of the city, in Arabic poetry, is due to sociopolitical
reasons and is not related to gender or sexual politics. But the image of the city is telescoped
in order to lend greater force to the poet’s criticism of modern Arab life .