أحمد شوقي : رائد المسرح الشعري العربي

Abstract

Ahmad Shawqi (1868-1932) was one of the renowned poets of
his time. He contributed extensively to the literary works of both
prose and poetry. He achieved an outstanding feat in fusing the
classic poetic style with the modern style. The best identity of
Shawqi is that he was the Prince of poets which has made him ever
glorious in the history of Arabic literature. He explored all
branches of Arabic poetry. He was expert in unequivocal
presentation of message, meticulous selection of diction and
rhetoric, adaptation to new style in place of blind imitation of the
old style, reflection of philosophical thought, and realistic portrayal
of his surroundings, appropriate handling of various elements of
history. All these outstanding qualities made him reach the
pinnacle of fame in the history of Arabic literature during the
Modern Period. Shawqi was also the greatest exponent of verse –
drama. His plays have been fairly frequently acted and he occupied
an important position in the history of Arabic drama. This article is
an attempt to evaluate him as a pioneer of ‘Arabic Poetic Drama’.