ACKNOWLEDGMENTSxxmention my two friends Professors Jaroslav Stetkevych and Suzanne
P. Stetkevych whose keen interest in my work and in Arabic poetic theory is
of great value. To Suzanne, as the devotee of classical Arabic poetry and poetics,
and an insightful reader and critic of an early draft of this book, I dedicatethis
book.
In the preparation of the final manuscript, I made very good use of the
Routledge readers’ reports, and the comments of my two colleagues and
friends, the editors of the series, Professors Roger Allen and Philip Kennedy.
Their insights and notes were of great help in the final preparation of the
manuscript for publication. Mary Allen read the manuscript and offered
many editorial suggestions. To her and to my friend Roger Allen goes my
greatest gratitude, not only for their friendship and support throughout these
years, but also for pertinent insights and advice that proved to be invaluable
for the book in its present form. Written over years and pondered for many
days and nights east and west, I may unwittingly fail to acknowledge the help
of many colleagues and friends. To them all I extend my warm appreciation
and gratitude.
Also I would like to acknowledge for the permission granted for reprinting
of quotes from the following books: Modern Arabic Poetry: An Anthology, ed.,
Salma K. Jayyusi, copyright Columbia University Press. Quotes reprinted
with the permission of the press; Anthology of Modern Palestinian Literature, ed.,
Salma K. Jayyusi, copyright Salma K. Jayyusi. Quotes reprinted with the
permission of Columbia University Press. For permissions to quote from
Ma.mnd Darwlsh’s poetry, due acknowledgements are to Jusoor, and its edi-
tor and publisher Munir Akash; to Bassam K. Frangieh, for quotes from
Abdul Wahab Al-Bayati: Love, Death and Exile(Washington, DC: Georgetown
University Press, 1990); and to Saadi Simawi for quotes from Iraqi Poetry
Today. Iraqi(London: King’s College, 2003).