The Poetics of Exile and Resistance

Postcolonial Identity in Mahmoud Darwish’s Poetry

Abstract

This study examines the discursive construction of postcolonial identity and political resistance in the poetry of Mahmoud Darwish. It analyzes how exile, land, memory, and poetic language shape subjectivity and sustain cultural continuity under conditions of colonial displacement. Grounded in postcolonial literary theory, the study combines close reading and discourse analysis of ten poems from Darwish’s mature period, using authoritative English translations with selective recourse to Arabic source texts for key terms. The findings indicate that exile in Darwish’s poetry functions not only as spatial dislocation but also as a constitutive dimension of postcolonial identity, while land and memory operate as symbolic anchors of communal consciousness and national belonging. Poetic language—especially metaphor, repetition, and culturally resonant symbolism—emerges as a form of non-violent resistance that contests dominant colonial narratives and affirms collective presence. The study thus demonstrates that Darwish’s poetry does more than reflect political realities; it engages with them through an ethically inflected and aesthetically intricate practice of resistance, highlighting the distinctive capacity of poetry to shape identity and enact resistance beyond formal political discourse.