The Poets’ Geography

Summary

This lecture, by Annemarie Schimmel, looks at the methodology employed by poets in the Islamic World by examining their use of various names of cities, rivers and natural landmarks, in addition to their turning of historical events into poetic verses, breathing with life, in an effort to celebrate the greatness of the past or in yearning for a loved one. This form of expression embodies their experiences and spiritual yearnings. The reader can see from the collection of poetic writings that Muslim poets seemed to be spiritually tied to each other, as if they spoke in one metaphorical tongue, even if their language is different and even if they are separated by vast stretches of land and time.