This study examines the presence of symbol and myth in modern Arabic poetry as two tools for reconstructing the poetic experience, rather than merely as cultural embellishments or references to a distant past. It is based on the premise that when a modern poet invokes a mythical figure or a symbolic sign, they do not simply reproduce its established meaning; instead, they place it within a new context that transforms its functions and enables it to express issues of alienation, death, rebirth, defeat, resistance, and the search for identity. The study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach drawing on myth criticism and semiotics. It examines representative examples from the works of Badr Shakir al-Sayyab, Khalil Hawi, Abd al-Wahhab Al-Bayati, Adonis, and Amal Dunqul. The study concludes that the success of symbol and myth depends on their organic integration into the structure of the poem and their ability to generate multiple meanings without becoming closed enigmas or mere displays of erudition. It also reveals that myth in modern Arabic poetry has contributed to expanding poetic temporality, connecting the individual with the collective, and establishing a critical dialogue between heritage and contemporary reality.
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