Adonis (Ali Ahmad said) (b. 1929) Syrian poet. Born in the Alawite mountains of Northern Syria, he studied first at Tartus, then at the Syrian University, and later earned a doctorate for The Static and Dynamic in Arabic Culture from St.joseph's University in Beirut. From 1956 to 1986 he lived in Beirut, and then moved to Paris. In 1968 he founded the avant-garde magazine, Mawaqif (Situations), dedicated to culture and literature. One of the greatest poets in Arabic literature, he is also something of an iconoclast. His prose writings have aroused much controversy in the Arab world, particularly his views on the Arab heritage and other subjects treated in the above-mentioned work (published in 1974) and other writings. There can be no doubt as to the influence of his ideas about innovation and modernity on a whole generation of poets. Equally important is the leading role he played in revolutionizing poetic language, imagery, and approach.
Seven collections of his poetry have appeared, of which Songs of Mihyar the Damascene (196o) may be regarded as a turning point in his work. It has been translated into French, and there have been several English translations of selections of his poetry, including The Blood of Adonis and Transformation of the Lover, both translated by Samuel Hazo.
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{K:81846} 10/3/2006
