"The Image of the Mother and Its Symbolic Manifestations" in the Poetry Collection "I Sew to the Measure of Perfume" by the Poet Ibtihal Treter

Abstract

This study examines the image of the mother and its symbolic significations in the poetry collection "I Stitch to the Measure of Perfume" by the Sudanese poet Ibtihal Treter, adopting a descriptive semiotic approach. It traces the transformation of the mother in the poet’s texts from a direct material and emotional presence—manifested in motifs such as milk, breastfeeding, childhood, and tenderness—to a broader symbolic realm that connects her with the earth, the Nile, the palm tree, and the homeland. The study also reveals the poet’s use of religious and historical symbols, notably Mary (Maryam), to bestow a sense of  sanctity and patience of motherhood. Among the most important findings of the study is that the presence of the mother in the collection is not superficial but deeply emotional, manifested through childhood, nostalgia, memory, milk, and the breast, reflecting the impact of motherhood on the formation of the self and the feeling of security. Furthermore, motherhood in these texts transcends its biological dimension to become a universal symbol associated with the earth, water, the palm tree, and the womb.