Witnessing through Verse: Afghan Women’s Poetics of Resilience

Abstract

This paper challenges prevalent narratives that depict Afghan women solely as oppressed and suppressed individuals by highlighting the narrative of resilience found within the literature produced and refined by women, past and present. It does so through the works of the pre-modern Persian poet Rābiʿah Balkhī, as a source of inspiration and the most well-known and respected poet, alongside the poetry of two modern female poets writing primarily in Persian: Nadia Anjuman and Mahbouba Ibrahimi. The paper examines how these poets, living across different periods, express themselves and reflect on the violence inflicted upon them and others rendered helpless in the face of aggression. By closely analysing their poetry, this paper aims to examine how each poet articulates a distinct response to violence and how their work functions as a form of knowledge production that challenges dominant narratives surrounding Afghan women and their struggles. Through close reading and critical analysis, it aims to shed light on the role of poetry in shaping societal discourse and perceptions, particularly in the context of political aggression and cultural vilification, through the lens of the poetics of witnessing.