Modern Arabic Literature Flashcards

Vocabulary based on the introduction to Modern Arabic Literature, covering key dates, movements, and historical impacts.

1798 AD

The year considered by literary historians as the beginning of Modern Arabic Literature, coinciding with Napoleon Bonaparte's entry into Egypt.

Napoleon Bonaparte

The leader whose entry into Egypt in $1798$ served as a wake-up call for the Arab people to initiate a Renaissance ($Nahda$) across social, political, and cultural fields.

The Dark Period

The era preceding the modern age characterized by long stagnation ($subat$) and control by foreigners, such as the Ottomans and Mamluks, over political, economic, and social life.

Generation of Revival (Jeel al-Ihya)

A group of poets and writers who participated in reviving Arabic literature and its creative spirit after it had nearly been extinguished.

Printing and Journalism

Two factors that had the most significant impact on the revival of cultural and literary life, helping writers regain the spirit of Arabic literature's golden ages.

Translated Literary Genres

Incoming literary forms such as stories, novels, and plays that entered Arabic literature through the process of translation.

Free Verse (Al-Shi'r al-Hurr)

Also known as 'New Poetry,' this movement emerged as a result of the Arabic literary interaction with global literary developments.

Narrative Arts

Literary forms including the novel and the short story that saw increased influence and importance in the modern Arabic literary landscape.

Drama (Theater)

A literary genre that became widely popular among writers as the Arabic literary movement modernized.