Ahmed Shawqi, the Poet of the Nation: Resistance and National Identity in the Vision of His Poetry (A Thematic and Artistic Study)

أحمد شوقي شاعر الأمة: المقاومة والهوية الوطنية في رؤيته الشعرية ) دراسة موضوعية فنية)

Abstract

This study examines Ahmed Shawqi as the “Poet of the Nation” through a thematic and artistic analysis that explores his poetic vision of resistance and national identity. It investigates how Shawqi transformed poetry from aesthetic expression into a civilizational discourse of resistance, in which historical memory and national consciousness intersect through symbolism, imagery, and epic tone. The study demonstrates that Shawqi, endowed with a deep historical sensibility and a broad humanistic vision, consciously reappropriated Arab and Islamic heritage, turning symbols such as the Nile, Al-Andalus, Salah al-Din, knowledge, and freedom into powerful signifiers of collective identity and cultural resistance to colonial domination. The findings further reveal that Shawqi’s influence extended beyond his own era, shaping Arab resistance literature and modern cultural movements, thereby establishing him as a central reference in the formation of a national poetic discourse that unites artistic beauty with ethical and cultural commitment.