Life and Background
Abd al-Rahman Shukri was born in Port Said in 1304 AH (1886 CE) and died in Alexandria in 1378 AH (1958 CE). His family was originally of Moroccan descent, having settled in Egypt, integrated into Egyptian rural society, participated in the digging of the Suez Canal, and taken part in the Egyptian people’s heroic resistance against British occupation.
Shukri stated that his grandfather authored a book on worship and piety and, in its introduction, traced his lineage back to the Prophet Muhammad. From this grandfather began the distinguished intellectual heritage that Shukri enjoyed, setting him apart from many of the writers and poets of his generation.
Shukri studied the masterpieces of classical Arabic poetry and benefited greatly from them. He devoted himself to the poetry of Ibn al-Farid, al-Mutanabbi, and the selected works of al-Barudi. He became familiar with Abbasid poetry in its original form. He also learned English and obtained his secondary-school certificate in 1322 AH (1904 CE), when he was about eighteen years old. He then moved to Cairo and enrolled in the School of Law during a significant period in modern Egyptian history.
He became involved in the nationalist movement led by Mustafa Kamil and composed a patriotic poem beginning:
Be steadfast, for disgrace is a burden harder to bear;
From humiliation no path leads us to honor.
Shukri continued both his political engagement and education, enrolling in the Higher Teachers’ College in Cairo, where he graduated with distinction in 1327 AH (1909 CE). During his studies, his literary inclinations matured. He studied The Golden Treasury, an anthology of English poetry, and read Shakespeare, Kitab al-Aghani, Abu Tammam’s Hamasa, the poetry of al-Sharif al-Radi, and many others. Their influence later became evident in his own poetry collections.
At the Higher Teachers’ College, Shukri studied alongside Ibrahim al-Mazini, and the two exchanged ideas and intellectual influences.
Shukri and the Diwan School
Abd al-Rahman Shukri is regarded as one of the pioneers of modern Arabic literature. He was one of the three principal figures of the Diwan School, which introduced a new conception of poetry during the first quarter of the fourteenth century AH (early twentieth century CE). The other two figures were Abbas al-Aqqad and Ibrahim al-Mazini.
As mentioned earlier, Shukri and al-Mazini met while studying at the Higher Teachers’ College. Shukri had already published his first collection, At Dawn, in 1909 while still a student. After returning from England, al-Mazini introduced him to al-Aqqad. The three became close associates and jointly championed literary and poetic renewal.
They became known as the “Diwan School,” named after the book Al-Diwan, written by al-Aqqad and al-Mazini. Shukri did not participate in its writing; indeed, the book included criticism of Shukri by his friend al-Mazini. The school’s literary principles were heavily influenced by English literature.
Intellectual Formation
Among the sources of Shukri’s intellectual formation were his travels and interactions with foreigners, especially Europeans. He also studied French literature at the Teachers’ College and became acquainted with writers such as Victor Hugo.
His university studies further broadened his horizons. He studied history, geography, economics, politics, systems of government, and the literature of Greece and Rome. These disciplines left a clear imprint on both his poetry and prose.
Thus, Shukri’s literary culture drew upon diverse Arabic and European sources. Through these foreign influences, he became associated with the emotional and imaginative tendencies of Romanticism in Arabic literature.
He also authored numerous literary and cultural essays published in Egypt on a wide range of valuable topics and artistic subjects. Through this extensive body of work, he established himself as one of the pioneers of modern Arabic literature.
The Life and Literature of Abdul Rahman Shukri 