Ahmad Shawqi was born in Cairo in 1868 and died in 1932. Shawki came at a time when Arabic poetry was weak in idea and style. So, his poetry was innovative and prolific.

He was the first to write poetic plays in Arabic. He has a statue at the Garden of Immortals in Rome.

He had full command of French, Turkish, Greek and English languages that helped him read Greek literature which inspired western writers.

He was deeply influenced by French literature, as he followed the steps of La Fontaine's fables voiced by animals. He also followed the same line of Victor Hugo in politics, patriotism and national history, and Racine and Moliere in poetic plays.

In 1927, he was elected the Prince of Poets by Egyptian and Arab poets at a ceremony held at the Opera House in Cairo.

Works:
Shawqi's work can be categorized into three main periods:

* The first coincides with the period during which he occupied a position at the court of the Khedive, consisting of eulogies to the Khedive: praising him or supporting his policy.

* The second spans of the period of his exile in Spain. During this period, his feelings of nostalgia and sense of alienation directed his poetic talent to patriotic poems on Egypt as well as the Arab homeland.

* The third stage occurred after his return from exile: during that period he became preoccupied with the glorious history of ancient Egypt and Islam. This was the period in which he wrote his religious poems, in praise of Prophet Mohammad. The muturing of his style was also reflected in his plays, the most notable of which were published in that period.

Plays:
Shawqi introduced epic poetry in Arabic literature in the form of plays, such as:
Majnun Laila
The Death of Cleopatra
Antara
The Princess of Andalusia

Poetry:
Shawqiyyat (A sizeable anthology of his poetic works)
Nahj Al-Burda (A tribute to the Prophet Muhammad)