Eco-political Discourse in Mahmoud Darwish’s Poetry of Resistance

Abstract

Resistance remains the central theme in the poetry of the Palestinian poet, Mahmoud Darwish. This article explores aspects of the eco-political discourse in Darwish’s poetry that bind ecology and politics for resisting colonialism. The study argues that Darwish employs ecological imagery drawn from the Palestinian nature to advance his political narrative of resistance. Through the lens of eco-politics, the analysis reveals how the elements of nature, such as trees, stones, rocks, hills, mountains, valleys, rivers, animals, fruits, the sky, the cold, the rain, the sun, and the moon, function as potent symbols of resistance. These natural forms become both witnesses to and participants in the struggle. Just as Palestinian landscape persists despite human transgressions, so too do the poet and Palestinians remain steadfast in their quest for freedom. The study offers new insights into eco-politics as a literary approach and a fresh pathway for reading resistance in Arabic and Palestinian literature.