When the poet transforms into language, and language into an imagined universe in 'The Albums of Adam II' by Alwan Al-Jilani

The collection 'The Albums of Adam II' by the Yemeni poet and writer Alwan Mahdi Al-Jilani begins with a title that carries profound implications. The name 'Adam' symbolizes beginnings, while 'the Second' signifies the regeneration of humanity through the ages. Here, Al-Jilani offers not only poetic texts but delves into the layers of existence to explore the role of poetry in shaping identity, investigating language as a bridge connecting the past and the future.
This collection represents the twenty-eighth book in Al-Jilani's literary journey, consisting of 104 pages divided into three sections: Poets, Poetry, and Texts. It was published by the General Cultural Affairs House under the Iraqi Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities in April of this year, 2025.
Section One: Poets… Guardians of Language and Makers of Meaning
Al-Jilani embarks on his journey in the 'Poets' section, presenting a fundamental question: Do poets create language, or does language create them?
Through a philosophical poetic vision, he asserts that poetry is not merely embellished words; it is 'the twin of human existence.' Since the dawn of history, poetry has accompanied humanity, expressing its wonder and embodying its feelings. Here, poets are not just conveyors of words; they are 'language itself,' infusing dull words with life and transforming them into enchanting melodies.
Poets Do Not Seek Language
They are language itself.
They are the ones who make the moonlight linger through the night,
and who shatter it like glass.
They crafted from it a tiny boat,
allowing its silver to dance with their delicious dreams.
Poets…
They are the first to sketch the contours of wonder in words,
the first to breathe life into letters.
They infused fragrance into the rose
and invented the word 'love.'
Without poets,
the languages of the world would revolve in concentric orbits,
forever unconnected.
Al-Jilani borrows a cosmic image to express his idea: 'Poets observe the stars, but they are not preoccupied with the calendar; rather, they focus on the beauty that lies beyond it.' The poet does not merely describe the world; he creates an alternate realm where words transform into luminous planets, and the poem becomes a space for contemplation and the search for lost meaning.
In this way, Al-Jilani reshapes the concept of poets as guardians of language and creators of meaning, revealing that their role transcends traditional boundaries and reflects the depth of human experience.
Section Two: Poetry… Between Metaphysics and the Age of Artificial Intelligence
In the 'Poetry' section, Al-Jilani begins with the notion of 'metapoetry' (poetry that writes about poetry), sketching a new relationship between humanity and language in the age of technology.
He poses a troubling question: Can poetry remain alive in a time dominated by machines? He answers through his text that poetry is a 'living being,' breathing with each era, renewing itself like 'Adam II,' reborn in every age. Just as poetry once served as the language of myth and prophecy, it now converses with artificial intelligence, remaining 'the flame that lights the darkness of meaninglessness.'
Al-Jilani explores the relationship between humanity and existence, discussing simple transformations that acquire profound significance. He clearly uses language as a tool to imbue everything with meaning, highlighting how words can reshape reality. Here, it seems that existence itself intertwines with poetry, making every simple event laden with existential meanings that transcend the surface.
The poet's sensitivity to existence and human experience is also highlighted. It shows that decay is not merely an idea but a feeling accompanying every moment of life. The poetic imagery acts as a veil surrounding profound meanings, expressing the tension between elegance and absurdity, between fragility and strength. This contrast stimulates the reader to reflect on the nature of their existence and the contradictions it encompasses.
He believes that poetry is 'not a luxury, but an existential necessity.' In a world where transformations accelerate, the poem remains 'a space for resistance'—resisting forgetfulness, resisting objectification, and resisting the disconnection of humanity from its essence.
Section Three: 'Texts' of Interwoven Human Experiences
In the third section, deep emotions unfold, expressing interwoven human experiences. The first text begins like a long corridor covered in pollen dust, evoking the scent of 'marjoram,' where words ignite tenderly like a candle, revealing memories that refuse to be forgotten.
In the second text, anxious thoughts clash as if they were bats in the imagination, reflecting feelings of isolation and disarray. Different lives intertwine in the third text, where chaos and order highlight the fragility of moments.
In the fourth text, the crisis of nervous explosions reflects the experience of tension and emptiness, while the fifth text radiates warmth and charm. Yet, beneath this warmth lies a thick skin of secrets, revealing complex internal struggles.
These texts accumulate to form a rich human experience, brimming with contradictory emotions, where each word reflects a struggle between pain and hope. From this diverse richness, we conclude that Al-Jilani does not merely depict existence; he seeks to understand its complexities, making every text a testament to profound human experience.
Language and Style in Al-Jilani's Poetry
Al-Jilani presents poetry 'charged with displacements,' rejecting the conventional and striving to create a parallel poetic world. It is a language that 'evokes absence and embodies the obscure,' where ancient vocabulary intertwines with modern terms, as if time wrestles with the weapon of words. In his texts, we find expressions such as:
Languages are barren, faded planets; we fill them with blood.
Here, language transcends its communicative function, becoming an act of new creation, as if the poet reshapes the universe through vocabulary. His style blends philosophical abstraction with vivid imagery, creating a textual fabric rich with connotations. He does not write a traditional poem; rather, he writes reflections distributed as words, where each line transforms into an expandable idea.
He employs paradox as a fundamental tool, merging contradictions:
the old and the new, 'Adam and artificial intelligence';
the material and the metaphysical, 'planets and the unknown language';
the real and the mythical, 'poets and prophets.'
He highlights what is known as metapoetry—'poetry that writes about poetry'—where Al-Jilani discusses the very process of poetic creation. He does not present a poem about love or nature; instead, he offers a poem about how a poem is born, as he states:
'We do not seek language; we are the language seeking itself.'
This style places the reader before a double mirror, looking at the text while simultaneously reflecting on how it is shaped.
Al-Jilani does not merely engage in linguistic displacements; he creates existential displacements, posing questions such as:
What if poets are the ones who create meaning rather than merely convey it?
What if words are older than humanity itself?
Here, the style is dense with rhetorical inquiries, inviting the reader to participate in the creation of meaning rather than just consume it.
He delves into the depths of existence with a language of light and shadow.
Alwan Mahdi Al-Jilani is a poet unlike any other, carrying a torch of questions that touch the depths of the soul. He dives into the corridors of language as a miner delves for gems within the earth. He is 'an encyclopedia walking on two feet,' writing not to please anyone. His words spring from genuine pain, real joy, and endless human confusion. In his collection 'The Albums of Adam II,' he does not speak of poetry; he 'breathes poetry,' as if he writes with the blood of the heart rather than ink from a pen.
Al-Jilani sits on a 'chair between the ages,' his feet planted in the soil of the past, his eyes gazing into the clouds of the future. He is a son of Yemen's rich heritage, contributing with his poetry to the formation of human identity, affirming that poetry always remains a means of expressing hope and renewal.

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