al-Adab al-Arabi al-Muasir fi Misr
- Author died
- 1426 AH
- Editions
- Dar al-Ma'arif
al-Adab al-Arabi al-Muasir fi Misr (Contemporary Arabic Literature in Egypt) is a study of modern Egyptian literary history by the Egyptian scholar Shawqi Dayf (d. 1426 AH / 2005 CE) . The book surveys the general historical and cultural factors shaping modern Egyptian literature and analyzes the evolution and prominent figures of both poetry and prose .
Background and Purpose
The work was commissioned by the Cultural Department of the Arab League, which sought a comprehensive historical series to document modern Arabic literature across different regions of the Arab world . Dayf was tasked with producing a concise yet thorough overview dedicated specifically to contemporary literature in Egypt, tracing the social, intellectual, and environmental factors behind its development alongside biographical and critical studies of its prominent authors and poets .
Structure and Content
The book comprises an introduction and five main chapters :
- Chapter One: General Influences (Mu’aththirat Ammah) examines major historical events, the dual influence of Arab heritage and Western culture, and the role played by the printing press and newspapers .
- Chapter Two: Poetry and Its Development (al-Shi‘r wa-Tatawwuruh) outlines stages in poetic history, covering the persistence of traditional forms, the neoclassical revival, the emergence of a new generation, the Apollo Society, social consciousness poetry, and verse drama .
- Chapter Three: Figures of Poetry (A‘lam al-Shi‘r) provides biographical and analytical profiles of ten poets: Mahmud Sami al-Barudi, Isma'il Sabri, Hafiz Ibrahim, Ahmad Shawqi, Khalil Mutran, Abd al-Rahman Shukri, Abbas Mahmud al-Aqqad, Ahmad Zaki Abu Shadi, Ibrahim Naji, and Ali Mahmud Taha .
- Chapter Four: Development of Prose and Its Genres (Tatawwur al-Nathr wa-Fununuh) traces prose from its bondage to rhymed prose (saj‘) and rhetorical embellishment (badi‘) through movements of liberation, modern renewal, and the emergence of new genres such as the essay, the novel and short story, and theatrical drama .
- Chapter Five: Figures of Prose (A‘lam al-Nathr) details nine leading prose writers: Muhammad Abduh, Mustafa Lutfi al-Manfaluti, Muhammad al-Muwaylihi, Mustafa Sadiq al-Rafi'i, Ahmad Lutfi al-Sayyid, Ibrahim Abd al-Qadir al-Mazini, Muhammad Husayn Haykal, Taha Husayn, and Tawfiq al-Hakim .
Publication History
The work was published in Cairo by Dar al-Ma'arif, appearing in multiple printings and revised editions, including a 1957 printing, a 1961 edition, a 1966 edition, a sixth edition, and a tenth edition comprising 308 pages .
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