Elegy and Mobilization: Poetry, Mourning, and the Student Uprising of January 1972

This article explores the role of elegy (
rithā’
) within post-1967 Egyptian protest culture. While elegy has often been studied through an individual psychological model, the elegies of Egyptian protest indicate collective dimensions within the literary genre. The article situates elegy performances as part of the broader commemorative practices of social movements, in which occasions of public mourning create opportunities for activists to gather and focus struggle. It analyzes poetry by Zayn al-‘Ābidīn Fū’ād, Ahmed Fouad Negm, and Amal Dunqul, showing how they framed political discourse and offered narratives of heroic and tragic incitement.