Sowohl in der Kunst als auch in der Dichtung steht der Orient dem Okzident als Antipoden gegenüber. Fasziniert vom Orient, von der persischen Dichtung und dem Dichter Hafis, veröffentlicht Goethe 1819 seine größte Gedichtsammlung, den West-östlichen Divan. Die zwölf Bücher des Divan dienen als poetologischer Dialog zwischen West und Ost, wohingegen Goethe in den Noten und Abhandlungen zu besserem Verständnis des west-östlichen Divans einen Einblick über die orientalische, vor allem über die symbolische Dichtung in Persien, die orientalische Geschichte und Religion gibt, um seinen Lesern das Verständnis der Gedichte zu erleichtern. Relevant für den dichterischen und kulturellen Austausch zwischen dem Orient und Okzident in Goethes Divan sind Goethes Kenntnisse über den Orient als „Land der Dichtung“, die Märchen aus 1001 Nacht als Urquelle der Phantasie, den persischen Dichter Hafis als „Märchenerzähler“ mit seiner symbolischen und ornamentalen Dichtung und Goethes eigene Allegorie- und Symboldefinition, die in der Poetologie des Divan für den Westen und Osten stehen. Letztlich demonstriert der Divan den Gegensatz von Orient und Okzident in der Dichtung, den Goethe in den zwölf Büchern zu vereinen versucht.

This article will discuss just how in control of their lives and image two modern rule-breaking performers were and, how as casualties of their own success, both Dietrich and Winehouse, legends in their lifetimes, remain intense subjects of interest and scrutiny. Their unrestrained and passionate romanticism is shown to better understand the allure and power of music and stardom, audience participation and the boundaries they cross. Yet such patterns of wild behaviour are not new, many with their roots in ancient civilizations, from Phoenicia to Ancient Greece. Indeed, fertility cults such as those outlined by Robert Graves in his seminal Golden Bough were a major influence of global culture. Further, it is the very excesses of spectacle in Jonson’s plays that brings the audience to their senses. Such lessons, transmitted through visual methods, as medieval stained glass reach a popular audience long before a Latin text ever could. as well as modes of performance and content.

This study engages with the pressing issue of gendered violence through a postcolonial feminist analysis of Koleka Putuma and Titilope Sonuga's poetry. By examining the poets' representations of embodied experience, resistance, and agency, the paper sheds light on the complex dynamics of power and oppression that underpin patriarchal and colonial contexts. Through their work, Putuma and Sonuga challenge dominant narratives that normalize gender-based violence, instead centering the voices and experiences of marginalized women. Their poetry serves as a powerful form of dissent, employing vivid imagery and symbolism to evoke emotional responses and challenge oppressive norms. By making visible the trauma, physical and psychological damage, and enforced silence experienced by victims, the poets underscore the need for accountability and transformative change. Ultimately, the study highlights poetry's capacity to serve as a vital tool for resistance, empowerment, and social justice. By reclaiming their voices and narratives, women can challenge systemic injustices and forge new paths towards healing, freedom, and self-determination. This research contributes to ongoing conversations about the intersections of gender, power, and violence, emphasizing the importance of centering marginalized voices and perspectives in our pursuit of a more just and equitable world. Through its nuanced analysis of poetry and resistance, the study offers insights into the complex nature of gendered violence.

This article examines the representations of war and peace in the works of Romain Rolland and Jean Giraudoux, focusing on their ethical, aesthetic, and intellectual responses to the catastrophes of the First World War and its aftermath. Through a comparative reading of Rolland’s Jean-Christophe, Au-dessus de la mêlée, and related essays, alongside Giraudoux’s dramas Siegfried and La guerre de Troie n’aura pas lieu, the study highlights a shared humanistic critique of militarism and nationalist ideology. Both authors conceive war not as an unavoidable destiny but as the result of moral failure, intellectual complicity, and the instrumentalization of culture, language, and myth. Rolland’s pacifism, grounded in universalism, fraternity, and the responsibility of the intellectual, is shown to resonate strongly with Giraudoux’s tragic irony and his dramatic exposure of rhetorical manipulation, propaganda, and the glorification of sacrifice. The article argues that Rolland and Giraudoux converge in their condemnation of the “ideological intoxication” produced by poets, journalists, philosophers, and religious authorities who legitimize violence while remaining distant from the battlefield. At the same time, their texts reveal a persistent tension between ethical idealism and historical pessimism, embodied in figures such as Jean-Christophe, Siegfried, and Hector, who strive for reconciliation yet confront the apparent inevitability of conflict. By situating both authors within a broader European discourse on peace, responsibility, and the crisis of civilization, the study demonstrates how their works articulate an enduring critique of war as a cultural and moral disaster. Ultimately, the article shows that Rolland and Giraudoux envision literature as a space of resistance, where empathy, lucidity, and the refusal of hatred sustain the fragile hope of a shared European humanity.

There is no gainsaying the fact that many cultures in Africa are imbued with one form of prejudice and violence against women. In recent times, the issue of traditional harmful practices and violence against women/girls has taken the center stage in Nigeria. This has triggered various literary scholars to turn their searchlight on the way forward. The above assertions prompted the researcher to carry out this research work. These traditional harmful practices include female genital mutilation, child marriage, marriage by abduction (force), widowhood practices (rites), denial of access to tertiary education, high bride price, denial of inheritance, child labour and patriarchal dominance – although those varies from culture to culture. However, this study specifically focused on obnoxious widowhood practices (rites) against Nigerian women. Widowhood practices put in a nutshell is the rites performed for a woman after the death of her husband as enshrined in the different cultures of Nigeria are among the prevailing prejudices that have consistently interfered on the dignity and rights of women/girls. The review of related literature indicates that such practices have devastating physical, psychological, economic and intellectual consequences on women. They reinforce the “inferior” status of women in society and continue to violate their rights and this has serious implications on the actualization of gender equality agenda in the society, as well as economic development agenda. The study is aimed at investigating traditional harmful practices against Nigerian widows and implications for overall development of the nation. Additionally, this research looked closely at the extent of damage caused and the way forward. The positive role of education in addressing the problems of traditional harmful practices against Nigerian women and girls were examined. The paper concludes that neglect of women in the name of cultural glorification should be condemned in its totality. And that girl child education is a strategic tool for the actualization of economic development through the instrumentality of trained teachers. The growing reach of the Internet, the rapid spread of mobile information and communications technologies and the wide diffusion of social media can present new opportunities and efforts to address some traditional harmful practices against Nigerian women. At the end of this study, workable recommendations will be made.