Lo spazio terzo come dimora interiore: l’esperienza dell’esilio e della costruzione identitaria nella poesia di Ġayāṯ al-Madhūn

Abstract Poetry has occupied a pivotal role within Arab culture since the pre-Islamic era, and its significance has grown exponentially in the wake of the Arab uprisings in 2011. Despite the revolutions not yielding the anticipated socio-political transformations, they have instigated the emergence of novel modes of expression and stylistic approaches that proffer artists a means to navigate social and personal dilemmas. Poets have redirected their focus from the epicentres of the uprisings toward more introspective and secluded domains. This shift in tone and style is inextricably linked to the circumstances of numerous artists who, compelled by necessity, have departed their countries of origin and sought solace in new lands, even before the outbreak of the revolution, due to the oppressive political, economic, and social conditions. Among those resonating with the enduring sense of flux is Ġayāṯ al-Madhūn (1979), a Palestinian-born Syrian poet who moved to Stockholm in 2008 and now lives in Berlin. His verses convey the persistent condition of displacement, the wistful yearning for his homeland, and the solitude borne of migration. Even as his material circumstances have ameliorated, affording him the latitude for creative expression, his newfound residence is tinged with an ineffable discontent, as it remains an imperfect substitute for the home relinquished. This article scrutinises the enigmatic predicament of the poet, who finds within his new milieu a latent but perpetually unfulfilled sense of belonging, while concurrently remaining tethered to the remembrance of the circumstances compelling his refuge-seeking elsewhere.