Nazik Al-Mala Ikah Literary Devices

Through tone and the use of literary devices, author, Nazik al-Mala’ikah, helps the speaker convey a strong message in “Elegy for a Woman of No Importance”. Although the speaker could be the author walking in the streets of Baghdad, her birth city, the chances are that it’s just a bystander. They are most likely walking around observing the life of a city in Iraq, or another Muslim country. I’m led to believe this because, the author is from Iraq and on page 473 of the textbook it talks about Muslim women, which is what the poem opens with. Within this poem, the author creates a tone the speaker displays so vividly. It’s sad, somber and eye opening in my opinion. A woman had died and yet no one seems to care one way or the other. The people carry on with their lives as if nothing happened. It’s sad in the way that, (#1)“When she died no face turned pale, no lips trembled” (P 474 L 1). No one shed a tear for that woman. She was probably widowed or unmarried so she held no importance in society. The poem continues talking about kids playing while vendors shout out in the streets. This is so eye opening, because even though a …show more content…
She uses personification and imagery to paint the picture in the reader’s mind. (#2)“The moon murmured sadly. / Night, unconcerned, gave way to morning” (P. 474 L. 9-10). She personifies the moon, and the night giving them human qualities. The moon might feel upset that the woman died, because no one else felt that way for her, while the night did not care. She paints the picture of the woman being carried in her coffin alone for (#3)“no eyes followed… to the end of the road” (P. 474 L. 4). The next day began and vendors and children filled the streets trying to sell and play. I can hear the (#4)“hungry mewing of a cat of rags and bones” (P. 474 L. 12). She did a great job allowing me to paint the poem in my head and leading me to the