The symbolism of Jerusalem in the Poem "The Sacred Flame" by Mufdi Zakaria: A Reflection on the Poetics of Place and its Semantic Dimensions

Abstract

The Palestinian cause has generated a lot of ink and sparked great interest among writers, and
there is nothing surprising about it, as this issue has transcended geographical boundaries to become
a universal human concern; it represents one of the sacred values in the thot of the Algerian people,
whose esteem reaches the level of beliefs and cults. And perhaps Jerusalem has a symbolism and
meanings that make it a central point in the poems of Algerian poets, where they are deeply
connected to it on a spiritual level, finding it inspiring for their verses, stimulating their creativity.
Among these poets who have dedicated their pens to the service of their homeland and the causes of
their nation, there is Mufdi Zakaria, who dedicated a long poem titled "Palestine on the Cross" to
Jerusalem in his collection "The Sacred Flame," in which he embodied a brilliant vision based on a
complex symbolic structure. In this poem, the symbol does not operate on a single level, but
religious, political, and historical meanings intertwine to form a profound network that expresses
the tragedy of Palestine and gives it a universal human perspective.
Therefore, this study aims to highlight the effectiveness of the poetic symbol in representing human
values, and how it is used in the poetic discourse of Mufdi Zakaria, by examining the elements of
symbolic performance, tracing its meanings in "The Sacred Flame" and its manifestations in the
construction of poetic meaning.