The Concept of Freedom Between Struggle and Awareness in Kurdish Modern Poetry- 1920-1965

Abstract

     This paper (The Concept of Freedom Between Struggle and Awareness in Kurdish Modern Poetry- 1920-1965) is concerned with analyzing the concept of freedom in Kurdish modern poetry. It examines the issue of freedom between physical-political struggle and intellectual awareness. It aims to understand and deal with the different meanings of freedom which is considered as a major poetic theme of the time.

        Relying on poetic examples, the study illustrates how freedom equates with the meaning of liberation and political freedom. The study  attempts to answer four broad questions: Does the concept of freedom as a physical goal take shape only in a political context? Does the concept of freedom go beyond the resistance of physical struggle? Which of the poetic texts sees freedom as the establishment of individual and national awareness? 4) Does the lack of coordination and parallelism between freedom as a political goal and freedom as a developed process of self-, moral and intellectual awareness affect political and social reality and  how? If freedom in the physical sense is taken away on the basis of sacrifice and physical and armed struggle, on what basis can freedom in the philosophical and essential sense be established and begin to develop?

      To answer these questions, we will try to present the concept of freedom in poetry as both a goal (liberation from oppression) and a process (deepening awareness). Through poetic texts. First, we will explain the concept of freedom in the context of political liberation struggle, because in general, in Kurdish modern poetry, freedom is viewed as the product of sacrifice, resistance and courage. These texts present armed struggle and sacrifice as an inevitable means of achieving national freedom and national destiny. In this sense, the meaning of freedom is expressed through symbols such as “blood”, “mountain”, “torch”, “campaign”,  or sacrifice, etc., which emphasize the physical aspect of struggle. Next, the concept and the meaning of freedom is explicated based on the notion of independent mental awareness Less than the examples of the previous theme, poets emphasize the importance of achieving inner freedom, which is often associated with individual spiritual awareness and assuming the moral and ontological responsibilities of human existence. This is often depicted through symbols and metaphors such as "light, hope of love, sunrise, breeze, horizon, air of freedom, etc.

The importance of this study is that it shows that the embodiment of the first meaning of freedom does not only require to reflect the collective experience of an oppressed nation in history, but also as a determinant of national identity; it reflects the meaning of Kurdishness. What deepens this concept and makes it an international issue and a human and universal responsibility is this individual human consciousness, without which all freedom can be achieved without its establishment and weaponization among individuals; it remains incomplete. In addition, this study encourages us to consider the role of literature not only as a means of expressing political resistance, but also as a platform for promoting the human spirit.