Modern Hebrew Women Poets and Their Quest for a Poetic Self

3 Credits.

Emerging during a national secular awakening that opposed traditional Judaism and aligned itself with European modernism, Hebrew poetry aimed to forge a collective identity. However, this national identity was mainly shaped in masculine terms. Our discussion will focus on how the development of diverse perceptions of selfhood and poetics challenged traditional notions of masculinity. Through close readings of poems in the original Hebrew and within a framework of gender and nationality theories, this seminar will explore the journey of Hebrew women poets from the early 20th century to the present as they build and reshape their poetic selves.