The Symbolism of the Moon Between Darwish and Lorca: A Comparative Study Between Darwish's "Afraid of the Moon" and Lorca's "Ballad of the Moon"

الملخص

The moon does not always shine bright; at times, it appears dark. Despite its associations with femininity, beauty, innocence and new beginnings, the moon also embodies masculinity, fear, sin and connections to endings. This comparative study focuses on the contrasting use of moon symbolism and its implications in relation to two distinct cultural backgrounds; the Arabic culture represented by Mahmoud Darwish, a Palestinian poet who presents the moon as a source of fear in his poem "Afraid of the Moon", and the western culture represented by Frederico Garcia Lorca, a Spanish poet who portrays the moon in "Ballad of the Moon" as a symbol of femininity and sensuality. This study attempts to highlight the influences of their choices in symbolizing the moon and the variations in meaning that come with it through the lens of French comparative literature theory.

Keywords: Comparative literature, Poetry, Moon, Mahmoud Darwish, Lorca.