Eghterab in Iraqi Emigrant's Poetry: The Case of Ahmad Matar

The word ‘eghterab’ in human sciences has different concepts which could be classified into three groups: 1) Westernization and tending to western culture or being alien with eastern authenticity; 2) nostalgia and homesickness caused by being away from his/her motherhood land and hometown. Most of this group of poets are emigrants or are in exile; and 3) having the sense of nostalgia but being in home country. It means that this group of poets have very high ideals which no one in their homeland can take and bare these ideals. The poet perceives that ideals which are essential for him/her are higher than the society in which he/she lives can grasp. This essay makes an attempt to study the various concepts of ‘eghterab’ by focusing on Ahmad Matar as a prominent poet with regard to the third concept and deal with the third concept of Eghterab from three points of view: political, social and spiritual. This article examines some samples of these three parts in Ahmad Matar's poetry.