Viewing Ahmad Hammad’s Poetry Through a Marxist Lens

Abstract

This study explores the poetry of Ahmad Hammad, a contemporary poet, by examining the Marxist themes that shape his work. In his famous eleventh thesis on Feuerbach, Karl Marx called for philosophy to go beyond simply interpreting the world and instead focus on changing it. Similarly, critical theorists like Herbert Marcuse highlight the transformative potential of art, describing it as a way to offer depth and meaning in a world often limited to superficial perspectives. However, Ahmad Hammad’s poetry is rarely analyzed in this context. Critics often associate his ideological stance with right-leaning tendencies, overlooking other dimensions of his work. As a young poet, Hammad’s work hasn’t been extensively studied in academic circles. This research draws insights from interviews, articles in newspapers and literary journals, and his poetry collections, which serve as the primary foundation for this analysis. Additional sources also help deepen the understanding of his poetic vision. The study challenges the prevailing view of Ahmad Hammad as a poet with center-right inclinations, arguing that this perspective only tells part of the story. A closer reading of his poetry and prose uncovers distinct Marxist undertones. His poems go beyond mere reflection, serving as a call to action and a tool for societal transformation. Several of his works powerfully convey messages of change and social awareness.