Blood

“Blood” is a 29-line poem made up of five stanzas of uneven length. Shihab Nye has not used any specific rhyme scheme or meter, preferring to write in free verse. The poem has a conversational tone, which is reinforced by the use of direct speech and recorded exchanges between the poet and her father.

It also hints at the oral storytelling tradition of Palestinians, many of whom did not learn to write, such as the poet’s grandmother. Wisdom has been passed down through generations in the form of folk tales.

Shihab Nye says her poems arise from notebook extracts—every day, she jots down thoughts about “what is happening in the atmosphere,” looking for “tiny bits of ideas as they flow through” rather than “big ideas.”

The poem has a journal-like quality about it—it is made up of fragments, memories, conversations, and it gives the impression of having been composed spontaneously.

Although “Blood” has no set form beyond five irregular stanzas, the poet uses the framing device of time to shape each stanza. The first two stanzas refer to the past, when the speaker was a child and she first became aware that her father is a “true Arab” (Line 1).