A Critical Introduction to Modern Arabic Poetry

SHAUQI 29

sometimes turn into an irritating feeling of self-pity, on the whole neoclas-
sical poetry, as is to be expected, is characterized by its impersonality.^26

Shauqi

Perhaps the best-known of the neoclassicists, if not the best-known of all
modern Arabic poets, is the Egyptian Ahmad Shauqi (1868—1932). An Iraqi
scholar once called him the Arab Shakespeare.^27 This, of course, is a gross
exaggeration, but in the opinion of many Arabs, although he may not com-
pare with Mutanabbi or Ma'arri, Shauqi is without doubt the greatest of
modern Arabic poets.
Shauqi was born of well-to-do parents of mixed origin, Arab, Circassian,
Turkish and Greek — a fact of which he often boasted. like Barudi, he was
brought up in the modern secular schools of Egypt. After completing his
secondary education he studied law and translation at the Law School, and in
1887 he was sent by Khedive Taufiq to France in order to study law at the
University of Montpellier. On his return to Egypt in 1891 he was appointed to
a high office in the court and soon became the favourite poet of Khedive
Abbas, a virtual poet laureate. He composed panegyrical poems on official
occasions such as the anniversary of Abbas's accession to the throne and ex-
pressed the Khedive's official policy in his poems praising the Ottoman
Caliph or criticizing British policy in Egypt. Much of his time was consumed
by his office at the court, which he occupied for over twenty years, and which,
although it conferred prestige and power upon him, also cost him some of his
freedom. However, Shauqi managed at the time to compose much poetry
which was not of an official nature. When the First World War broke out
Shauqi's patron, Khedive Abbas, who happened to be abroad, was prevented
by the British authorities from entering the country because of his sympathy
for the Ottoman government and was deposed in his absence. In his place
was appointed Sultan Husain Kamil, and Egypt was declared a British Pro-
tectorate. Shauqi, who was known for his attachment to Abbas and his loyalty
to the Ottomans as well as for his virulent attacks on the British, was exiled
to Spain in 1915, where he spent all the war years. He returned towards the
end of 1919. During his exile he developed his interest in Spanish Arabic
poets, especially Ibn Zaidun, wrote poems commemorating the glories of the
past Arab civilization of Spain and describing its remains, and like his pre-
decessor Barudi expressed his deep nostalgia for Egypt in a more subjective
and meditative type of poetry-
Once the war was over Shauqi returned to Egypt, but not to resume his
office in the court. Being by now a man of independent means, he devoted his
time to his literary activities and to giving expression to the mood of the