Adonis sings alone on the hill of modern poetry. All that remained was that wave that roared, crashed, and retreated. Since its inception, he has been its first star and the banner of its ship. He was the most productive and most present. Most importantly, it has been translated into other languages more than once. Therefore, he became a familiar name in international poetry circles, in Paris, New York, and Berlin. This presence took on another dimension, when the Louvre Museum hung on its walls his new book, “Seven Poems,” in which it tells the stories of civilizations. He delivered some of it in Arabic in the museum hall, while a major actress was delivering the translation.
Because of his strong presence in the West, Adonis dreamed of the Nobel Prize. He still shines and shines at the age of ninety-four. But there is no sign of Nobel yet.
In an interview with Almond, Adonis did not defend ambiguity in his poetry. He said that very few people understand him. However, this is a characteristic of keenness on depth and distinction. In contrast to the ambiguity of the poet, there is clarity – if you will – of Adonis, the proselytizer, researcher, author, critic, and thinker. His books reach a record number. He did not put a book down and then turn it into a pillow to fall asleep on, as most of the companions and companions did. He also did not give in to anything or anyone. He did not see poetry as a rhythm, but rather primarily as a literary issue, then as a human issue across the country, or “everywhere, anywhere,” as Baudelaire said.
Honoring Adonis at the Louvre is another international honor he has achieved. And a very different shift in looking at his poetry: that he himself commissioned the novel “Human Civilizations” on the wall of the most important museums in the world. A long journey for a boy who was thirteen years old when he shouted at President Shukri al-Quwatli:
“I want to learn. I have not entered school until today.”
He always wanted to be special. But this distinction prevented him from becoming a popular poet. On the contrary, he always stood against the easy trend, transcending the criticism, disparagement, and accusations that it aroused. He said in his interview with “Almond” that he was happy to be welcomed by the cultural atmosphere in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries, which also allowed him to get acquainted closely with literary climates that were absent from him.
