The Influence of the Homeland and its Alienation in the Poetry of Ahmed Rafiq Almahdawi

Abstract

This modest study aims to study a historical literary figure, namely (Ahmed Rafiq Al-Mahdawi). Rafiq lived until his death in 1961 as a poet of Libyan nationalism, as Professor Muhammad Al-Sadiq Afifi classified him, who collected the first part of his collection of poems. He never disappointed his fellow citizens in him, despite the years of colonialism that controlled his country. Thus, the national aspect dominated his poetry, as his concern was to support national unity and incite jihad against the Italians until the occupier became annoyed with him, so he was exiled outside the homeland to Turkey and the sister country of Egypt. He lived his life in exile and longing for his homeland. This research studies the extent of the influence of the homeland on Al-Mahdawi’s exile, as well as the extent of support for national unity and incitement against the Italians in his poetry, whether inside or outside the country. This research also points to the role of writers and scholars in the necessity of paying attention to this writer who dealt with important issues in his poetry that can be used by future generations to raise their awareness of the conspiracies being hatched against their religion and homeland. This is the character of the creative poet who threw his arrow in these repeated calls to his countrymen.