Guests on the Sea

Guests on the Sea written by Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish was basically about the journey and the settlement of the Palestinians in the land considered to be owned by the Israelite and all the emotions accompanied in their struggle.

The guests referred in the poem are the Palestinians. The Palestinians came not from a country but from pomegranates, from the glue of memory. Pomegranate is a fruit found in several countries. For me, its usage and the usage of the phrase "glue of memory" emphasize the state of the Palestinians. They are a nation but a country. They don't have a land they can call their own. It was also stated that the arrival should have been a visit but only the visit got long. But I think, stating it was a visit was not to convince the reader but the persona himself or herself. He or she knew that it would really take time or shall I say the visit was not a visit at all, but instead there was really an idea to stay in the place.

There were a lot of allusions and metaphor in the story. Biblical allusions like the creation, apple, sacrifice and mercy are present. The third line: 'from what Mediterranean will the creation begin?' for me, means that the persona is asking what place in the Mediterranean will there an event like the creation in the Bible. It seems that the persona if there will be able to have a country somewhere in the Mediterranean. The apple for me symbolizes something that will create the ripples that would prolong their stay. It was stated in the line: 'And the earth is smaller than our visit. We shall send another apple to the waters, circles within circles, where are we to go when we leave?'. Sacrifice and mercy came out on the same line: 'Is there another rock over which to offer a new sacrifice for your mercy?'. The line seemed to be a plea to the Creator. It was like the persona is asking if there's still a rock in which they can offer a sacrifice so that GOD will grant them their wish. Metaphors were also used in the poem. It was used in the fourth stanza of the poem:

'The sea has its ancient craft:

ebb and flow;

woman has her first task: seduction

it is for poets to fall from melancholy

it is for martyrs to explode in dream

it is for wise men to lead a people on towards happy dreams'

The metaphors for me, was like a mere description of the land. Saying that the first task of a woman is seduction, feels like the persona was referring to Eve. Then the next metaphors which are poets to fall from melancholy, martyrs explode in dream and wise men to lead a people on towards happy dreams further described that the land was of Israel especially the last metaphor. It reminded me of how the three king lead the people to the birth of Jesus which is our savior and considered to be our happiness.

A lot of images will also used in the poem. The imagery of distance and alienation were implicitly was the language of the land. People especially Palestinians residing in the land of Israel felt this feeling of isolation and distance.The implication of the images of what is lost and what is desired showed not only what the Palestinians sacrificed and done to have a country and what are their desires, what they wish they should have.

The repetition of the line"Sea, do not give us the song we do not deserve." only showed emphasis that all the things that the Palestinians experiences are so out of the line, how they don't deserve such treatment. They were looking for a country not for an enemy.

All in all, the poem showed the struggles and hurts of a Palestinians whose only goal in the first place was to find a land of his own and how he or she was treated in realizing his or her dream.