Omani
Poem: A Renewed Language, Vision Toward the Future

Muscat,
27 July 2026 (ONA) — The essence of the classical Omani poem today is embodied
as one of the most prominent features of the cultural landscape in the
Sultanate of Oman, stemming from the aesthetic and linguistic legacy it has
established, which reflects human experience and historical richness through
the ages.

Currently,
the classical poem is witnessing a tangible upward evolution regarding its
linguistic context and artistic style, as it has become more conscious and
capable of expressing human issues and intersecting with cultural
transformations.

In
this context, a detailed perspective emerges on the reality of the language of
the classical poem, examining its Omani identity and its contexts of renewal.

Khamis
bin Qalam Al Hinai, a poet, pointed to what the “poem” has built
regarding its own language in a way that reflects its cultural identity,
establishing a distinctive presence in the Arab poetic scene while continuing
renewal and preserving authenticity and beauty. He stated that poetry—as he
sees it—is a delving into the interior and an exposure to the exterior, and
that the Omani poet, like other poets, seeks in his poem to fuse time and space
with the fire of his words, connecting with history and geography to the extent
that he disconnects from them.

He
added that the Omani poet contributes to extending human emotional experience
through leveraging personal experiences and surroundings to evoke wonder at
times and empathy at others when read by people wherever they may be, using a
tongue saturated with the flavors of language without losing the unique accent
acquired through upbringing and connection.

He
emphasized that over the past year, he had the opportunity to examine young
works by an elite group of male and female poets, finding in them a human
extension evident in both form and content.

For
his part, poet Younis Marhoon Al Busaidi discussed innovation, artistic
aesthetics, and the key features of renewal in the classical Omani poem today,
touching upon the experiences that must craft the poem to make it more
astonishing. He said: “I currently do not find in the Omani poetic text—or
perhaps even the Arab text, speaking of metered poetry, whether classical
vertical or free verse—any innovation or broader horizons, despite openness to
new experiences. The reason is that even if a poet tries experimenting with
dictionaries, they will face the obstacle of using a new image to which the
recipient is unaccustomed, causing it to be perceived as insufficiently
rhetorical. Moreover, changing the vocabulary is neither the crux nor the
pillar of innovation.”

Al
Busaidi added in his personal view that innovation lies in treatment, style,
and diversifying methods. He noted that the Omani metered text has been unable
to leave its own distinct fingerprint; when reading it, one cannot distinguish
whether the poet is Omani or from outside the geographical area to which he
originally belongs, making it similar to poetic texts from any other
Arabic-speaking nation—or even non-Arabic speaking if the poet is there.

He
concluded that regarding the innovation demanded of the poet, the poet must
respond by asking: What is the required innovation in a poem? Looking back at
history, radical transformations in vertical text consisted of departing from
the classical opening of weeping over ruins—the darkness of which Abu Nuwas
broke—along with moving from the vertical structure to Muwashah poetry and
changing rhymes, and finally to Taf’ilah (monometer) poetry. All these
transformations in the body of the poem are essentially insufficient, as they
did not lead to addressing the intended subject. Nevertheless, he noted that a
poet should not be burdened beyond capacity, and the honor of trying is enough.

In
the same context, poet Abdullah Ahmed Al Kaabi says: “To me, the features
of renewal in the Omani poem seem to rest on two things: first, creative
innovation stemming from the intermingling of literary arts, and second,
nostalgia for the eloquence of the ancient past.”

Al
Kaabi added: “Accordingly, features emerged in the Omani poem, including
openness to the intermingling of literary arts among poets possessing full
mastery of their poetic, expressive, and linguistic tools, alongside the
adherence of vertical and Taf’ilah poets to ready-made, coined expressions
without adding anything new. These two features necessarily lead either to
constructing a poetic language with high poetic density and rhythmic clamor
that conceals the inability to innovate ideas or creative imagery, or to
constructing a poetic language with subtle resonance and a flexible rhythm
harmonizing with the language of daily life.”

He
believes that the poem transcending literary genres and borders, which truly
carries the concept of a creative text, is the one inspired by daily language
and the language of literature aligning with human issues; such a modernist
text explodes with numerous meanings and mountains of wonder.

He
emphasized that this interactive text, which relies on the reader co-creating
with the author, is the most important. Here arises the question: Can the Omani
poem be unique in presence and innovation? The reader themselves answers this,
as this textual uniqueness must be accompanied by a reader who is creative in
reading and analysis, and indeed in constructing a new text shared with the
original author.

Meanwhile,
poet Dr. Aisha Abdullah Al Fazari touched upon the assets possessed by the Omani
poem to enhance its presence on literary platforms, events, and Arab awards,
while opening up to broader segments of readers. She discussed mechanisms for
leveraging the cultural and creative momentum in the Sultanate of Oman to build
a new phase that makes the classical Omani poem more impactful, widespread, and
capable of producing a poetic achievement keeping pace with the future. She
stated: “The Omani poem possesses solid assets qualifying it to enhance
its presence in the Arab literary scene. It rests on an ancient poetic heritage
and a cultural environment historically known for celebrating knowledge,
language, and literature. Moreover, over recent decades, it has managed to move
from narrow locality to broader horizons through poetic voices possessing
artistic tools and intellectual vision.”

She
pointed out that the first of these assets is Omani cultural identity, as it is
unique in its ability to draw inspiration from history, the sea, the mountains,
the desert, and the Omani individual without falling captive to rigid heritage
discourse. Instead, it reformulates these elements within a contemporary vision
that transforms the Omani location into an open human space capable of
addressing the Arab reader wherever they are.

Al
Fazari also added: “The Omani poem possesses a linguistic and aesthetic
capital characterized by combining correct Arabic with rich poetic imagery,
accompanied by a clear inclination among many poets toward linguistic economy,
avoiding rhetoric, and opening up to symbolism, mythology, intertextuality, and
human knowledge, which makes it more adaptable for presence in the modern Arab
poetic scene.”

She
noted that among the most important strength factors of the classical Omani
poem is the presence of a diverse generation of poets. The Omani poetic scene
does not rely solely on established names, but witnesses a growing presence of
young voices writing vertical, Taf’ilah (monometer), and prose poetry, giving
the experience vitality and continuity and creating a dialogue between generations
instead of a disconnect.

She
emphasized that textual quality alone is no longer sufficient to guarantee
widespread reach. The contemporary Arab cultural scene is governed by an
integrated system comprising media, translation, publishing, digital platforms,
awards, festivals, and literary criticism. Therefore, enhancing the presence of
the Omani poem requires working across several parallel tracks. The first track
is promoting translation; the Omani poem possesses human themes capable of
reaching a global audience, yet it still requires institutional projects to
translate poetic anthologies into living languages, opening new horizons
outside the Arab framework.

She
explained that the second track lies in media and digital presence, as the ways
poetry is received have changed, with many readers discovering poems through
digital platforms, podcasts, short films, and recorded poetry evenings.
Investing in professional digital content and producing visual and audio
material to accompany poetry will grant it wider dissemination among younger
generations.

Poet
Al Fazari said: “Following that is activating participation in Arab and
international awards and forums, as these platforms are no longer mere
competitions, but have become tools for building cultural reputation and
introducing new experiences to readers and critics. The wider the participation
of Omani poets in festivals and forums, the greater the presence of the Omani
poem in the Arab consciousness. Furthermore, the critical movement represents
an essential element in establishing literary standing; distinguished texts
require academic studies, critical readings, university theses, and specialized
conferences, because criticism transforms individual experience into a
recognized literary phenomenon. This aspect still requires greater attention
from universities, research centers, and cultural journals. It is also
important to invest in Arab cultural partnerships through publishing joint
poetic anthologies, organizing forums that bring together Omani poets with
their Arab counterparts, and establishing literary residence programs to
facilitate the exchange of expertise and broaden the circle of reception.”

Dr.
Aisha addressed the cultural movement witnessed in the Sultanate of Oman today,
describing it as an exceptional opportunity to build a new phase for the Omani
poem. She said: “Cultural institutions, festivals, book fairs, literary
forums, and youth initiatives all form a fertile environment for creating a
renewed poetic project.”

She
added that if this momentum is utilized within a strategic vision, it can
elevate the poem from mere local presence to broad Arab influence. Among the
most prominent efforts for the coming phase are launching national projects to
document and digitize Omani poetry and make it available across modern
platforms; supporting young poetic talent through training programs, writing
workshops, and critical supervision; enhancing poetry’s presence in schools,
universities, and public spaces to cultivate a new reader base; producing visual
and audio poetic content leveraging digital technologies and artificial
intelligence without compromising the essence of the text; encouraging
publishing houses to issue qualitative poetic anthologies and expand their
distribution across the Arab world; and building bridges with Arab and
international cultural institutions to establish joint poetic projects.

She
stressed that the future of the Omani poem will not be built on conservation
alone, nor on unrestrained experimentation, but on achieving a precise balance
combining authenticity and renewal. A poem that preserves its linguistic and
cultural identity while simultaneously opening up to major human questions is
the most capable of survival and impact.

She
explained that the classical Omani poem stands today before a historic
opportunity; it possesses language, talent, heritage, and cultural environment,
and what it needs is an integrated project that enhances its presence across
the Arab world and globally.

Meanwhile,
poet Ali Hamid Al Alawi addressed the evolution of intellectual visions and
topics covered by the classical Omani poem, making it closer to human beings
and their issues, and more open to cultural and human questions, highlighting
the spaces it still holds to offer new insights reflecting the uniqueness of
the Omani experience while engaging with the Arab poetic scene. He said:
“There is a tangible development in the classical Omani poem, highlighted
through the transition from the ‘event poem’ that merely conveys external events
to the ‘vision poem’ concerned with contemporary human anxiety and various
issues. This transition has allowed it to transcend traditional themes and
direct instructional discourse, opening up to existential, cultural, and cosmic
questions to center around humans and their diverse concerns.”

He
added that the classical Omani poem managed to absorb the rapid social
transformations affecting current civil society values. It also underwent
development in artistic structure and expressive tools in keeping with modern
Arab poetry. Thus, Omani poets ventured into the realm of prose poetry in a
manner allowing the text to be open to interpretation without canceling
poetry’s communicative function or excluding the recipient from the equation.
Omani poets also excelled in Taf’ilah (monometer) poetry with merit and
competence, while maintaining traditional Arabic metered achievements.

Al
Alawi emphasized that critical studies and poetic competitions—such as
festivals, forums, and literary gatherings—play a pioneering role in enriching
this poetic renewal and establishing common ground between authenticity and
modernity.

In
his remarks, he pointed to the rich spaces possessed by the classical Omani
poem for renewal, interaction with the Arab poetic scene, and contribution to
shaping modern Arab identity through reproducing and employing heritage in
classical poetry. This includes drawing inspiration from rich Omani nature
vocabulary, Omani maritime history, and legends, projecting them onto modern
human anxiety and alienation.

Furthermore,
employing local colloquial vocabulary within classical text grants it
distinctiveness and uniqueness. Additionally, giving voice to spatial memory in
a modernist style through invoking elements of Omani nature—such as forts,
castles, frankincense, and palm trees—transforms them into philosophical and
existential symbols. The Omani poetic experience can also be deepened using
Arab prose poetry techniques to engage with contemporary life issues and embody
Omani emotional self-expression, producing poetic work worthy of circulation
among readers and capable of drawing the attention of Arab literary criticism.

—Ends/AG