Shathel Taqa
Encyclopedia
Shathel TAQA,
Shathel TAQA, (in Arabic: (شاذل طاقة (28) April 1929 – 20 October 1974), an Iraqi poet, diplomat and politician. He is one of the pioneer founders of the School of Modern Arabic Poetry, which emerged in Iraq in the late 1940s
and early 1950s.
Concerning modern Arabic poetry, Taqa said in his introduction to his first collection of poems "The Last Evening" in 1950 that: “this sort of poetry modern poetry
is not a free verse
neither it is free of all restraints, but it commits itself by certain limits. It should be noted, however, for the sake of art, that this type of poetry is not innovative for its origins that are deeply rooted in the Andalusian poetry..”. On the poet’s role in life, he also said: “poetry at this age, maintains its serious role. The poet, has been, as he was for ages, a prophet amongst people to guide them and rectify their distorted tastes. That is enough for the poet because he does not have to be a mouthpiece for social reform, in order to be an objective for serving the country directly, otherwise we will have no poets and we will have in no way the right to judge his works as a fine art.
Shathel TAQA, (in Arabic: (شاذل طاقة (28) April 1929 – 20 October 1974), an Iraqi poet, diplomat and politician. He is one of the pioneer founders of the School of Modern Arabic Poetry, which emerged in Iraq in the late 1940s
1940s
File:1940s decade montage.png|Above title bar: events which happened during World War II : From left to right: Troops in an LCVP landing craft approaching "Omaha" Beach on "D-Day"; Adolf Hitler visits Paris, soon after the Battle of France; The Holocaust occurred during the war as Nazi Germany...
and early 1950s.
Early years
Taqa was born in the Iraqi city of Mosul, Nineveh, where he completed his school studies. In 1947, he pursued his studies in Baghdad to major in Arabic literature. In 1950 he graduated from the Higher Teachers College (later on called college of education) Baghdad University. While working as a high school teacher after graduation, he actively wrote articles in the local press, most of which were political that caused him troubles with the authorities. Taqa started composing poems early while he was just a high school student. His poems used to appear in the local press of Mosul in late 1940s.Political career
- In 1958, Taqa was transferred to the Ministry of Culture as advisor.
- In 1962, he joined the American UniversityAmerican UniversityAmerican University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
in BeirutBeirutBeirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
to proceed with his higher education. Within one year he was recalled to take up the post of Director General of Iraqi News Agency (INAINAINA as an acronym may refer to: by IOC country code* Indian National Army was an Indian nationalist force during World War II aimed at overthrowing British rule over India* Indian Naval Academy* INA, a division of the Schaeffler Group...
). Because of his liberal and pan-Arab thinking, he was jailed more than once.
- In 1968, he was appointed under-secretary of the Ministry of Information, and one year later transferred as Ambassador of Iraq to the Soviet Union for the years 1969–1971.
- In 1972, he was appointed under-secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- In 1974, when Iraq was under the rule of President Ahmed Hassan Al Bakr, Taqa was appointed Minister of the Iraqi Foreign Affairs. In the same year he died at the age of 4545Year 45 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Vinicius and Sabinus...
, in Rabat (Morocco), where he was attending a Summit of Arab Foreign Ministers.
Literary works
- In 1950, at the age of 21, he issued his first collection of poems" The Last evening",( المساء الأخير)
- In 1956, he shared his second collection "Poems Banned from publication"( قصائد غير صالحة للنشر) with three Iraqi prominent poets.
- Later, he issued two more collections: "…Then Died the Night" ( (ثم مات الليل) and "One-eyed Antichrist & the Strangers" (الأعور الدجال والغرباء)1963 and 1969 respectively.
Other works
- History of the Abbasid Literature,( تاريخ الأدب العباسي) 1953,a study of poetryPoetryPoetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
within the First Abbasid Era, soon adopted as a curriculumCurriculumSee also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
for high schoolHigh schoolHigh school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
.
- About Media &the Battle,(في الإعلام والمعركة) 1969, published by the Iraqi Ministry of Information
About his poetry
Iraqi and Arab scholars, who studied his poetry, noticed that the volume of his poetical works was relatively limited to a certain extent. This explains why his poetry maintained certain standards that prevented him from being redundant. Therefore, his poems are characterized by diversity. His poems are known to be close to one’s heart simply because of the spontaneous language along with its beautiful rhythm. In his poems, one can easily detect the historic events that reflect a realistic image of livelihood. Readers can also feel the rich heritage of different sources expressed in sincere and deep emotional way.Concerning modern Arabic poetry, Taqa said in his introduction to his first collection of poems "The Last Evening" in 1950 that: “this sort of poetry modern poetry
Modern poetry
Modern poetry may refer to:*The more recent periods in the history of poetry; or*Modernist poetry, the application of modernist aesthetics to poetry....
is not a free verse
Free verse
Free verse is a form of poetry that refrains from consistent meter patterns, rhyme, or any other musical pattern.Poets have explained that free verse, despite its freedom, is not free. Free Verse displays some elements of form...
neither it is free of all restraints, but it commits itself by certain limits. It should be noted, however, for the sake of art, that this type of poetry is not innovative for its origins that are deeply rooted in the Andalusian poetry..”. On the poet’s role in life, he also said: “poetry at this age, maintains its serious role. The poet, has been, as he was for ages, a prophet amongst people to guide them and rectify their distorted tastes. That is enough for the poet because he does not have to be a mouthpiece for social reform, in order to be an objective for serving the country directly, otherwise we will have no poets and we will have in no way the right to judge his works as a fine art.