The Collapse of Revolutionary
Utopia in the Poetics of Abdullah Al-Baradouni: An
Analytical Study in the Poem “A Drunk and a Bearded
Cop”
Ali Mohsen M.
Saleh Jaber
ABSTRACT
This study aims to conduct an in-depth analytical
reading of the late Yemeni Poet Abdullah al-Baradouni’s poem “A
Drunk and a Bearded Cop,” revealing signs of the downfall of the
revolutionary utopia and the subsequent shift to a dystopian reality
following the outbreak of Yemeni revolutions. The research problem
arises from the clear contradiction between the propaganda of the
revolutionary ideals—justice and equality and the day to-day reality
marked by corruption and oppression that the poet witnessed. This
study will critically examine the poem’s imagery, symbolism, and
language, which express disillusionment with the outcomes of
revolutionary movements and the fading of the idealistic
aspirations. These elements to serve to convey the theme of the
“Drunk” and the “Bearded Policeman”: the former representing the
defeated or absent popular consciousness, and the latter symbolizing
the new authority that has replaced oppression, disguised as
religion or revolution. Furthermore, the research argues that the
poem is a highly significant poetic document of disillusionment in
modern Arabic literature.
Key words: revolutionary utopia, dystopia, symbolism, contradiction,
ideals, disillusionment, and consciousness
