Chapter 5, The Poetry of Personal Life Summary and Analysis

In Chapter 5, the author begins a new section of the book. This last half of the book examines Bedouin poetry and its function in the everyday lives of the Awlad 'Ali. The first half of the book has explained the cultural background of the Awlad 'Ali, giving readers a context in which to place the poetry that will be dissected in this section.

The author tape recorded a few wedding parties during her stay with the Awlad 'Ali. Although the tapes are full of background noise, such as babies crying and multiple conversations, there is one particular tape that became a favorite for the tribe to listen to. This tape includes a conversation between two of the household women. One of the women, named Aziza, has had a very difficult and...