METAPHORS OF TRAUMA IN HAYA ABU NASSER’S AT THE CLIFF OF DEATH

Abstract

This study analyzes the poem “At the Cliff of Death” by Haya Abu Nasser to explore how conceptual metaphors are employed to represent collective trauma, identity, and the resilience of Palestinian women. Using a qualitative-descriptive approach and close reading method, the analysis is grounded in Conceptual Metaphor Theory (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980) and trauma studies (Caruth, 1996; Keller, 2007). The findings reveal that metaphors such as “life is a stage of blood” and “death in a white suit” serve as epistemological tools for articulating extreme experiences within landscapes of structural violence and existential alienation. Metaphors like “I see myself suspended by a noose… / free as a firefly” highlight gendered resistance, challenging patriarchal and colonial narratives. The poem functions not only as an aesthetic expression but also as a political and cultural discourse that reinforces collective memory and amplifies the voices of women in conflict. This study contributes to the scholarship on contemporary Palestinian poetry, trauma metaphors, and the role of gender in narratives of resistance.