During the 19th century a revival took place in Arabic literature, along with much of Arabic culture, and is referred to in Arabic as ""al-Nahda"", which means "the Renaissance". This resurgence of writing in Arabic was confined mainly to Syria, Egypt and Lebanon until the 20th century when it spread to other countries in the region. This Renaissance was not only felt within the Arab world but also beyond, with a great interest in the translating of Arabic works into European languages. Although the use of the Arabic language was revived, particularly in poetry, many of the tropes of the previous literature which served to make it so ornate and complicated were dropped.