Analysis of Nizar Qabbani’s Odes in the Light of Identity Crisis

Identity is a personal and mental idea that a person presents in response to the “who and what” question of their life. In the context of society, this concept makes the individual think about knowing their personality and leads them to display a representation of the quality and quantity of their intelligence, actions, and behavior. It causes man to better understand different conditions by being influenced by their and society's mental and psychological issues. In the first place, identity is considered one of the most basic cultural-personality themes that, regarding its different types, can be harmed and cause crises for the individual and the society. In contemporary Arab world, crucial events and changes have raised several conflicts in Arab identity, resulting in undesirable harms and consequences such as identity crisis for Arab individuals. As one of the most prominent Arab poets, Nizar Qabbani has widely focused on identity crisis in his poetry. The significance of this study was identifying the factors in Qabbani’s thought which have set the stage for exploring identity crisis, the perplexity of human and the Arab world, and their helplessness and contempt in the world. In this regard, this descriptive-analytical study aimed to examine the different aspects of identity crisis (individual and national-ethnic) in Qabbani’s poetry and view. The research findings reveal that: 1. the chaotic and tense political, social, and cultural atmosphere, 2. the incompatibility between the interests of the ruling system and the individual is one of the important factors in the formation of a personal identity crisis. 3. Besides the Arabs’ suffering from a personal identity crisis, Nizar presents his poem as his identity through which he seeks to revive the original identity of the Arabs. 4. The incompetence, passivity, and inefficiency of the Arab leaders; 5. Being defeated by Israel, the occupation of some lands of Arab countries, and the intrusion of foreigners into those lands; 6. The economic problems are among the factors contributing to the national identity crisis; and 7. The disintegration, wandering and losing the past glory of the Arabs and their ethnic symbols play an essential role in creating the ethnic identity crisis in this poet’s poems.