Reem Al-Lawate

The biography

     Reem Al-Lawate is an Omani poet. She was born in Muscat.  She works in bank. She begins writing poetry at the age of fifteen under a pseudonym. She had to remain anonymous, because her poetry often dealt with themes of love, which were considered taboo. She holds Higher Diploma in education from Beirut and Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Qatar. She impacts in her poetry by Elia Abu Madi, Nazek, Fadwa, Darwish and Nizar Qabbani. She has published in many periodicals local and Arab. She had a corner in the weekly cultural supplement to youth newspaper for three years in a row. She participated in many soirees and cultural events, local, Gulf and Arab. She writes about contemporary issues, which is regard by Arab women. She also writes on relationships, including topics of love and romance. She once wrote a poem about the way a man looks at a woman, a girl falling in love and she says "I talk about issues that people are not acknowledging, but she admits that there are limitations for her as a writer.

General meaning

     This poem is about love affair between man and woman. They consider the love'' fate'' that giving by God, and no one can run away from it. Also that, they assume the love is as immortal and instinctive thing in the life.

Detail meaning

     At the first stanza, he praises the God, because He made the love ''fate" to him and her. He requires from her to offer her love before the dream is extinguished or the love end. In line three, he said that they began to love other in the one of the God's month. He considers her as strange woman, because she did not offer her love for him. Then, he told us that the going away from her make him to feel by isolation, because he will be alone.

     At the second stanza, she also praises the God for made the love ''fate'' to them. In line two, she said the one love support the other love, and it will be stay same until they are died. After, she tells only the God more know the apropos time than them, so

(1)

the God controls every thing in the life. In line four, (two eyes) refer to the sun and the moon, and they are observing the absence of the love, and it asks, if the love will rise, when the sunrise or less.

     In the third stanza, they are both said that, the mercy on the love is more than woman creates from man's rib, and here, there is quote from Adem and Eve story.  Also, the love is more than swelling or leaving emptiness inside her.  They praise to God. In line five, they continue talk about creation of Eve, which is came from nonbeing, and then the life followed in its limbs.

     In the fourth stanza, she or he continues story of Adem and Eve. They do sin, and the God decline them from the heaven to land. Then, he started to require forgive and intercession from the God, because the sin more than chapter of their life.

     In the fifth stanza, he requires from her to come until paint star on her palm. Maybe   this star to guide her and the henna will appear in her other palm. (Wave to direction) maybe mean the way of life. The way of her life no one knows just her, and no one will tread on, but him, because no one there except him. After that, he requires from her to gush the love to him.  That love uses to overflow flood of Gods of love.

     In the sixth stanza, she wants to wash herself in him. Then, she said the love is bridge   the God extended it between two hearts. In line three mentions to the love between them abundant or increase when they are met and they drowned in it.

     In the couple, there is secret between them. They praise the God and they require from the God to save them from miss and yearning.

Figure of speech

1- Water symbols to the love

2- Night symbols to the sin

3- (Make the dry river in my land gush)

(2)

There is metaphor here and he compares himself without love as dry river without water.

     In my opinion, I see this poem has deep meaning. It is unrhymed. The poet uses free and strong word. Also she uses difficult pictures that are difficult to understand. I observe that she is overstating in her feeling and emotion through of the poem.