Jerusalem in Poetry: A Comparative Study

This work is intended to trace back the most salient historical stops of Jerusalem, in addition to highlighting its religious importance among the three Abrahamite Religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The image of the city is emphasised thoroughly among three poets, the English William Blake, the Palestinian Mahmoud Darwish and the Israeli Yehuda Amichai. For Blake, Jerusalem is the perfect place for sacredness and peace. Thus he desires to build a New Jerusalem in England. Darwish presents Jerusalem as a wounded city longing for peace; he employs references from the Abrahamite Religions to emphasise inclusivity. He also accentuates the profound relation and connection between the Palestinian and his homeland. On the other hand, Amichai sees Jerusalem as the dream that came true especially after the Six-Day War. Nevertheless, the three poets seek to glorify Jerusalem¿s holiness and its magnificent impact among the world.