Challenging Social Boundaries in the Poetry of Thuraya Al Arrayed

This study highlights Thuraya Al Arrayed’s unconventional portrayal of women in selected revolutionary poems that address the concept of women’s rights. It explores how Al Arrayed’s representation of women challenged the restrictions imposed on Saudi women before the reign of King Salman Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Thus, this research adds to the existing body of knowledge by offering a new approach to Al Arrayed’s poetry concerning the aspects of women’s rights in contemporary Saudi Arabia. By considering Al Arrayed’s radical choice of metaphors and images, I aim to establish Al Arrayed as a significant female poet whose poetry embraces a literary tradition that questions negative gendered attitudes biased against passionate women. In my approach to Al Arrayed’s poetry, I consult selected poems from her published and unpublished volumes, along with biographical notes based on personal interviews. Additionally, I examine sociological research on the changing role of women, which coincides with the transitional phase in contemporary Saudi Arabia. To my knowledge, the thematic focus offered in this article is absent from contemporary literature. Therefore, the significance of this research lies in its contribution to advancing the discourse on Al Arrayed by addressing aspects not previously considered.