This Palestinian Man’s Poetry Went Viral On Social Media Years After His Death

Social media platforms, particularly Tik Tok and Pinterest have been saturated with poetry by this Palestinian man. His painstaking prose and deep contemplations on life and love have a struck a chord with today’s youth.

This poet was always well known in his home country. But, it is rather surprising that his poetry took off with the Western youth the way it did. His poetry has been going viral this year and the past year. The man died in 2008. No one ever expected his work to reach virality and inspire upcoming generations.

The man is Mahmoud Darwish (1941–2008). Mahmoud was born in Al-Birwa, a Palestinian village. His father taught him to read. In 1948, his village was captured by Israeli forces and his family fled to Lebanon.

Mahmoud published his first poetry book at the age of 19. Throughout the years he would return to Israeli-occupied Palestine. He partook in activism joined Pro-Palestine organizations. In the 1970s, he went to study in the Soviet Union. He joined the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and was banned from re-entering Israel.

Mahmoud was in love with a Israeli woman, whom he called “Rita” in his poetry. They were in a relationship for a few years unbeknownst to their families. Much about their relationship remains unclear and is speculation. He has written about her in several poems and they have exchanged love letters. This very same poems are the ones that made Mahmoud’s work go viral. Their relationship eventually broke off when “Rita” joined the Israelian Navy and allegedly became a spy for them.

Mahmoud’s poetry was controversial, provoking, and poignant. He wrote mostly about love and war.

Here are some of excerpts of his poetry that went viral.

“ On the train we swapped seats, you wanted the window, and I wanted to look at you.”

“Maybe the moon is beautiful only because it is far.”

“I was compelled to love you. Not because you are the fairest. But because you are the wisest, for a lover of beauty is usually a fool.”

“She says, when are we going to meet? I said, after a year and a war. She said, when does the war end? I said, the time we meet.”

“Out of my ignorance I called you my homeland. I forgot homelands are taken away.”

“And you became like the coffee In the deliciousness, and the bitterness, and the addiction.”

Why did his poetry resonate with today’s youth?

Mahmoud’s poetry ruminates on the rudimentary emotions that we all feel throughout our lives: love, heartbreak, injustice, rebellion, suppression, loneliness, and existentialism.

His poetry is simple yet effective. It filled a void in the pop-culture space. A void that could not be filled by nonsensical pop songs about heartbreak, sappy romantic movies, mundane romantic novels, or cliché Pinterest quotes.

His story and struggle is a huge factor behind his appeal. It brings another level of context to this poetry. His work illustrates the pains of a young man who’s country is war-stricken and he himself has fallen in love with a women who constitutes as his natural enemy. His work emnates a sense of despair. A feeling of being trapped. Trapped in the world without a land to call home. Trapped in a heart that is affectionate towards someone it should not be.

It must be noted that his poetry has been translated to English. Inevitably, some level of depth and nuance is lost when something is translated out of it’s native tongue to English. Yet, his work remained impactful. His work stemmed from the very real struggles of his life. They weren’t the ruminations of a privileged writer scribbling away their philosophical ministrations at their desk. This is his appeal.

Search up Mahmoud Darwish on Tik Tok or Pinterest to see the traction his work has gained. After reading some of his pieces it is easy to understand why they are so liked. He has published several poetry books. The excerpts mentioned above are merely lines that have gone viral and have been quoted several times. There is a lot more to his work that is yet to meet the mainstream public eye.

What are your opinions on the writer?