Anwar Al Attar (1913-1972) was a Syrian romance and nature poet born in Damascus. His talents were observed at an early age, gaining him fame in Arab literary circles as the “Syrian Youth Poet.” His love of poetry enabled him to memorize thousands of verses by the most famous poets in both his time and in Arab literary history. Although Al Attar only lived to the age of 59, he left behind a wealth of poetic contributions to Syrian heritage. Al Attar’s poetry was greatly influenced by the French Romantics, including Alphonse de Lamartine and Alfred de Musset, as well as Al Bohtori of the Arab Abbasid Period, Ahmad Shawki, the “Arab Poetry Prince” of the 1950s, and many other prominent poets. Al Attar's poetry is still admired throughout the Arab world. Some of his works have been translated into English and French, and some even set to music. Anwar Al Attar's complete works (poetry and prose) were published in Damascus in 2020. His first poetry volume, "Zilal Al Ayyam," and his last poetry volume, “Robaeyyat Anwar Al Attar (Alamatni Al Hayat),” were republished in 2015.
This presentation will highlight Al Attar’s talent and literary style, with a focus on his ability to combine his emotions of love with the beautiful nature of his city, Damascus. Al Attar’s son Hani will present his father's life journey as it is reflected in his poetry.
Speaker
Hani Anwar Al Attar, BA in English Literature from Damascus University
Facilitators
Johanna Sellman, PhD, Assistant Professor of Arabic Literature in The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Culture at The Ohio State University
Magda El-Sherbini, MLS, Professor and Middle East & Islamic Librarian at The Ohio State University Libraries
Sponsored by University Libraries’ International and Area Studies Department, the Department of Near Eastern Languages & Cultures and the Middle East Center.
VISIT https://library.osu.edu/events/anwar-al-attar-syrian-romance-and-nature-poet-virtual-event TO REGISTER
For information on this lecture, please contact Magda El-Sherbini, Middle East and Islamic Studies Librarian at el-sherbini.1@osu.edu
