Homeland 07/28/2013

Left with Noting but Rocks

Mahmoud Darwish’s poem, “Identity Card,” addresses the feelings of isolation one feels when detached from his homeland and forced to live as a second-class citizen in another country. The speaker asserts in the beginning of the poem that he is an Arab, and he poses a question that appears to be addressed to all of humanity: “What’s there to be angry about?” (Line 6). This question is repeated three times throughout the poem, suggesting the anger and hatred projected upon Arabs in a foreign country.

Throughout the poem, the speaker reminds his audience of his humanity by giving details of his past and current life. He explains that he has eight children, with another on the way, yet he “beg[s] for no alms at your door” (14), displaying his pride and independence. He feels disconnected from his surroundings, described as a “whirlpool of anger” (21), and fondly recalls his hardworking father and “peasant” (29) grandfather. The descriptions of his family are a stark contrast from the “highborn nobles” (28) surrounding him, and to them he asks, “Does my status satisfy you?” (33). The speaker clearly feels victimized by prejudice, and he laments on the loss of his homeland, accusing the government of stealing his “forefathers’ vineyards” (46)

The speaker describes his homeland as “village, remote, forgotten” (40), demonstrating his inability to return to it. He criticizes the government for taking everything from his family, leaving them “nothing but…rocks” (50). Contrary to the men in the new country, the speaker explains that he does not hate people, but that if he were hungry, he would “eat the flesh of [his] usurper” (57). The speaker was forced to abandon his homeland and only wants to be treated with dignity. He does not understand the hostility that confronts him; if anyone should be angry, it should be him.

Work Cited

Darwish, Mahmoud. “Identity Card.” The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner. Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2013. 1607-1609. Print.