SOAS Research Online

Abstract

Hezbollah has been an active party in Arab politics for three decades. Much has been said about its origins, politics and development but little about its poetry. In the context of Middle East politics, poetry has been important medium of communication that expresses political, ideological, religious and existential meanings. This article will consider the poetry of Hezbollah historically, in particular in the context of two key events in which the movement played an integral role. The first, in 2000, saw Israel withdraw from Lebanon after twenty two years of illegal occupation. The second, in 2006, represented a major Israeli confrontation with Hezbollah. On both occasions, Hezbollah emerged intact and defiantly declared victory, garnering it more Arab adulation and broad-based support, which declined with the Arab Spring. This article considers how these important events have been depicted in Hezbollah poetry and in relation to its ideology and political orientations.