Deletion defamiliarization in Mahmoud Darwish Collection The Flowers of Almond or Beyond: A Semantic Investigation

This research deals with deletion defamiliarization in Mahmoud Darwish collection Flowers of Almond or beyond, which is characterized as an effective component of synthetic defamiliarization and an aspect of language ability of the poet. The aim is to identify examples of deletion in this collection and evaluate the aesthetic and technical implications. This study investigates two aspects of deletion defamiliarization: one level involves syntactic, rhetorical and phonological issues and the other shapes and appearance. This text if full of visual signs, something which can be called shape or visual defamiliarization and is very common in contemporary poetry and is obtained through typographical techniques which the poet uses. First, issues related to letters and words are considered with an emphasis on the effect of syntagmatic movement on paradigmatic level. So, the messages of the text are conveyed in different styles which are associated with different elements including surprise and fear. Second, issues related to the poet’s outlook are considered. Omission is employed in a way which contribute to potentiality in that familiar constructions are replaced by more effective ones. One of the most important objectives of this research is an interpretation of the implications of deletion, a device which is used to provide the readers with mysteries from his language, which in turn reveals his inner secrets—something which standard language fails to do. This style of language puts the reader face to face with linguistic and intellectual questions, a task which is the prime mission of modern poetry.