In the Presence of Absence by Mahmoud Darwish is a profound testament to the human condition, in absence of clarity of human identity and isolation. It is crafted with the lyrical beauty and poignant depth that characterize Darwish's work.
Published in January 2006, this text is a self-elegy and a poetic memoir, a classical Arabic collection that converges both poetry and prose.
It serves as a bridge between the realms of presence and absence, a literary space where Darwish reflects on his life and the lives of many others who share his deep sense of loss. A space where he moves from death to birth, from his own grave to his father’s, the Palestinian experience, and the universal quest for identity amidst exile and loss.
Mahmoud Darwish lived through the tumultuous events of the Palestinian Nakba, the 1948 exodus that led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. He faced multiple house arrests and imprisonments, but that did not stop him from using his poetic capabilities to resist against the transgressors. This historical backdrop permeates his work, providing a rich tapestry of personal and collective memory.
In the Presence of Absence was written during a period when Darwish was acutely aware of his own mortality, having experienced several life-threatening health issues at the age of 65 and having lived through occupation most of his life. This awareness imbues the text with a sense of urgency and introspection.
Darwish's mastery of rhetoric is evident throughout the book. He uses this literary device to articulate the inexpressible horrors of genocide, displacement, and loss. Having returned to Gaza after spending many years in exile, Darwish sketches the longing for scents of his homeland, the incapability of language to express overwhelming emotions and injustices and the atonement of sins that he and his people did not commit.
The Village Voice suggests, "Darwish is to be read with urgency, in the night, when nothing else moves but his lines." Thus, the rhetorical power of Darwish's language elevates his personal narrative to a universal plane, making the reader acutely aware of the broader implications of exile and loss.
His use of paradoxes, mythological allusions and metaphorical contrasts creates a profound sense of the surreal and the tragic, effectively communicating the inexpressible. For instance, young love is paradoxically described as "a state of death more sweet and alive than any other" and old love as "an absence with an intense presence."
Darwish expresses how similar he is to his homeland, yet how far from it, “I resemble you, yet I do not become you. I become you, yet I do not resemble you.” Exiles and imprisonments have tampered his identity just like Nakba has eroded the identity of his homeland, but in between moments of delirium, rise the moments of lucidity, when the king of Israel is haunted by ghosts and laments, while Darwish finds familiarity in the scents, memories, coffee and birds of his home.
Darwish often employs natural imagery to convey the devastation wrought upon his homeland and people. In one poignant metaphor, he describes the homeland as a body wounded by history, a landscape scarred by the absence of its people.
Central to In the Presence of Absence is the theme of exile and its impact on identity. Darwish's view on exile is complex and multifaceted; it is both a curse and a source of profound insight. Exile forces a re-evaluation of identity, prompting a search for meaning beyond geographical and political boundaries.
This theme also resonates deeply in Darwish's famous poem 'Identity Card', where he asserts his Palestinian identity in the face of occupation and erasure. The poem's refrain, "Write down: I am an Arab", is a defiant declaration of existence and resistance. This sentiment echoes in In the Presence of Absence where Darwish's reflections on his life and identity are framed by the ever-present shadow of exile.
Darwish's stylistic choices are integral to the impact of his work. His use of language is both lyrical and evocative, characterized by its musicality and depth. Darwish describes his fight as "a struggle for what lies beyond the power of weapons: the power of words" in an effort to bridge the gap between words and "what they represent."
The form of In the Presence of Absence is a unique blend of prose and poetry, a hybrid that reflects the fragmented reality of exile. This innovative structure allows Darwish to move fluidly between narrative and lyrical expression, creating a dynamic and engaging reading experience.
Moreover, Darwish frequently employs binaries to explore the tensions and contradictions inherent in the human condition. Presence and absence, exile and homeland, memory and forgetfulness, reality and imagination, state of wakefulness and dreams - these dichotomies are woven throughout the text, highlighting the complexity of identity and belonging. By juxtaposing these opposites, Darwish invites readers to reflect on the paradoxes that define our existence.
Mahmoud Darwish's work stands apart from that of his contemporaries due to his unique blend of personal and political themes, his innovative use of form, and his lyrical mastery. While many poets of his time also addressed themes of exile and identity, Darwish's ability to interweave these with a deeply personal narrative and a profound sense of history sets him apart.
His contemporaries, such as Adonis and Samih al-Qasim, also grappled with themes of displacement and political struggle. However, Darwish's work is distinguished by its accessibility and emotional resonance. His poetry transcends the specificities of the Palestinian experience to touch on universal themes of loss, longing, and the search for self.
In the Presence of Absence remains relevant even after decades. It provides a timeless exploration of themes that sadly continue to resonate globally - exile, identity, and the struggle for self-determination. The ongoing conflicts and displacements in not only Palestine, but Sudan, Lebanon, Congo, Kashmir, Armenia, Syria, Serbia and all around the world make Darwish's reflections particularly touching and pertinent.
Mahmoud Darwish's In the Presence of Absence is a luminous work that transcends the boundaries of genre and geography. His reflections are not only a tribute to his own life and people but also a universal call to recognize and honour the enduring human spirit. This book is a testament to the power of poetry to heal, to remember, and to assert one's presence in the face of overwhelming absence.
The writer is a student of BS English Literature from the Government College University, Lahore.
