Power comes in many forms: weapons, threats, size, and even words. Amidst the violence and volatile power that exists between Israel and Palestine, Mahmoud Darwish attempts to influence people's feelings through his poetry. In Darwish's politically charged poems, he uses a combination of common symbols familiar to Jewish and Arab peoples, and carefully chosen language and diction. The content of his work allows him to cross the proverbial bridge between Jewish and Arab audiences, almost always succeeding in making his message palpable to both. However, he crosses the line between wisdom and condescending superiority. The end result is that Darwish's poetry possesses a power of its own, and Darwish attempts to use this power to distance his readers from the violence of war. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Although there is a historically long conflict between the Jewish and Arab peoples, they share such a close lineage that the two cultures have many cultural similarities. Darwish isolates these similarities, such as common religious symbols, and uses them in his work. The symbols share common messages of peace, brotherhood and coexistence, while invoking total destruction. It is with these symbols that Darwish makes his poems resonate with people of both cultures. To express peace, Darwish alludes to a place of historical importance: "If only I could go to Damascus in echo / Damascus, my wife, / I will love and I will survive" ("The Shouted Flute" 1.8) . Darwish refers to Damascus because of its history as a city that existed with multiple religions. In “The Flute Cried,” Darwish highlights images of two crying women, embodying the division of such a place. He writes: “The flute wept and tore the sky into two women” (3), who represent Israel and Palestine. The image of Damascus forces the reader of the poem to see the coexistence of the two peoples. Darwish's goal is to show the reader that as the two groups lived together peacefully in the past, it can and should be that way again. Darwish embraces the similarity between his culture and that of the Jewish people with a symbol of cordiality and brotherhood. “…I see my friends carrying the evening mail: wine, bread, a few novels and records” (I See My Ghost Coming From Afar, 2-3). The image of bread and wine is a scriptural reference. It symbolizes friendship and neighborhood. Darwish's intention is that as the reader sees an image so commonly associated with encounters of positivity and love, they will one day see the possibility of associating such an image with the enemy. The olive branch is a symbol of true versatility. This is a lot of things, not the least of which is peace. Darwish integrates this symbol in the context of desire. He writes: “I look at the trunk of the olive tree that was hidden…” (I see my ghost coming from afar). Just as the symbol of the olive tree has a multitude of meanings, Darwish has just as many reasons to use it in his poems. Religiously, the branch symbolizes life and purity from sin, as this is what the dove brought to Noah in the Ark to show that the flood was over and life had resumed. Colloquially, extending an olive branch means extending the will for peace, which is Darwish's goal for his readers. To add to the impact of his writing, Darwish also incorporates symbols with less positive connotations. In addition to his symbolic arsenal, Darwish uses the symbol of ashes, which symbolizes the religious journey that human bodies make from ashes to ashes. “I lookthe invisible: what will come – what will happen after the ashes? (I see my ghost coming from afar). It is with this symbol that Darwish shows the reader the catastrophe that could occur if the premises of peace and coexistence are ignored. Darwish skillfully uses this technique to show the negativity of hostility, which has the potential to be more compelling than symbols of peace and happiness. Darwish's extensive use of such symbols, especially those that have meaning in both cultures, shows his intention. He wants his poems to influence his readers' point of view on the struggles, but also on their vision of the opposing culture. While these symbols bring readers the specific ideas of peace and coexistence, Darwish continues to reinforce the power of his words through his carefully chosen language and colloquial diction. Because Darwish is Arabic, it is necessary for his vernacular to employ such devices to ensure that his message is clear to Jewish readers as well, without perceived bias or blame on either party. The only bias Darwish displays through his poems is that of peace, and to keep this a constant, his choice of language and words reflects the difficulties experienced by the Jewish and Hebrew people. Earlier examples of the olive branch reinforce the neutrality of his poetry, further reducing any perceived bias. Darwish's diplomatic writing style begins when he gives the poem a neutral voice. His works are in the first person, and if one were to assume that Darwish himself is not the narrator of the poem, it is not obvious whether the narrator is Arabic or Hebrew. This benefits the readability of his poems, as some would simply ignore his poems before reading them because Darwish is Arabic. In this particular case, in sentences like "I will follow the path of song, even if my roses are fewer" (The night there), the narrator expresses the despair of the bloody conflict, without showing any affiliation or association with one or the other. side. This makes Darwish's poems more readable and his message more palatable to those who may not necessarily agree with him because of his ethnicity. Darwish's language and diction also reflect that of a teacher, which can however be perceived negatively. The narrator of Darwish's poems speaks in a way that shows he possesses superior knowledge, so some readers might assume that Darwish infers that he knows the manner in which the conflict should be resolved. He specifically writes: "We could be what we should be" (The Dreamers Pass from One Sky to Another), actively indicating how people should act. While its message does not convey negativity or provoke violence, it is a call to action. Such a statement can potentially imply wrongdoing, and many opinionated readers don't like being told they're wrong. These kinds of people are less likely to be open to his message. Darwish's intention is to convey the idea of ​​peace and coexistence. between the two peoples in conflict, it is less effective for him to preach to his readers than to use subtle symbolism and rhetoric. Darwish's use of calm and unpretentious language is the most effective way for him to convey his message. He writes: “…I ask: will there be a new prophet for this new age? (I see my ghost coming from afar). In contrast to his didactic tone, Darwish instead declares his ignorance, using the narrator's character to ask the reader what is going to happen. In this context, he succeeds in expressing the reader's thoughts, such as,.