نازك الملائكة و ابداعاتها الشعرية؛ روي نقدية

Nazik al-Mal’ika and her Poetic Inventiveness

This article probes the career of the Iraqi poetess Nazik al-Mal’ika who earned a vital role in modern Arabic poetry from 1940’s through 1960’s. This lady entered a literary battle traditionally undertaken by men and actually did prove her creativity and originality and secured for herself an unimpeachable status in the canon of Arabic literature. Nazik is the Iraqi representative of the romantic school of poetry that is based on creativity and not imitation. Nazik was responsible for an evolution in this school which had virtually reached Iraq late. Nazik was one of the pioneers of poetic transformation. Such transformation had already spread across many countries around the world. This fine poetess championed the propagation of originality, novelty, and criticism in Arabic poetry. Nazik experienced cultural and sexual discrimination in a conservative family and society dominated by male chauvinism which deprived women from self-expression. Nazik could not attend literary clubs and gatherings and in compliance to public opinion was inhibited like other women from integrating with men in social contexts.