Document Type : Scientific- Research Article
Abstract
Poets in general—and committed poets in particular—strive to shape their poetic expressions into a cohesive and interconnected creative whole, aiming both to persuade and to evoke aesthetic pleasure. The poet Abu al-Abbas succeeded in composing numerous poems within his Diwan that embody his highest ideals and objectives, using poetry as a powerful medium to advocate for his cause. His work has a philosophical dimension, engaging with the philosophy of waiting, which reflects his religious belief in the anticipation of Imam Mahdi. This philosophy and belief reach their peak in expressions that demonstrate the extent of his commitment to this cause. Within a rhetorical framework, he employs a range of poetic images that leave a distinctive mark on the realm of poetry and reveal his talent in strikingly beautiful forms.
Mahmoud Munaf is a contemporary poet whose committed poetry is characterized by both modern style and language, infused with social and religious themes. In his poetry of anticipation—particularly in expressing the rights of the Ahl al-Bayt (the Prophet’s family)—he creates new imagery and introduces fresh stylistic and literary techniques, including ambiguity, paradox, allegory, and symbolism.
The significance of this research lies in its clear portrayal of the modern techniques employed by this particular Iraqi poet within Arabic poetry. The study adopts a descriptive-analytical methodology to achieve its objectives, focusing on the theme of Imam al-Mahdi and the poet’s expressive style to illuminate its characteristic features. It also examines poetic representations of praise and love for the awaited Imam through the lens of anticipation literature, thereby revealing the aesthetics of the poetic text and the extent of the poet’s adherence to the doctrine of anticipation.
Keywords: Committed Literature, Artistic Imagery, Deviation, Intertextuality, The Awaited Imam, Mahmoud Munaf.
Extended Summary
1.Introduction
Writers and poets have traditionally employed standard themes and poetic styles in their work, such as description, praise, love poetry, and satire. However, some have ventured into modern themes, innovating in both poetic style and purpose. Political, social, religious, and ideological poetry are among the most significant of these modern developments, falling under the broader category of committed literature.
Modern poets have composed extensive works of committed poetry, reflecting their political and ideological affiliations. Many of these writers endured persecution and threats yet remained steadfast in their beliefs and principles. Among those who followed this path was the Iraqi poet Abu al-Abbas, who dedicated much of his literary attention—especially his poetry—to his Shi‘a faith, the guardianship of the Ahl al-Bayt (the Prophet’s family), their usurped rights, and the tragedy of Imam Hussein and Karbala. The notion of the awaited Imam, his call for reappearance, and the eradication of injustice held a central place in Abu al-Abbas’s corpus of literature and poetry.
Materials and Methods
Using a descriptive-analytical approach and drawing upon evidence from both research and library sources, it is evident that the poet Mahmoud Munaf employed a wide range of modern rhetorical mechanisms and poetic representations to express his unwavering loyalty to his beliefs through refined contemporary poetic language.
He achieved this through praise and elegy, invoking the deceased or the exalted, depicting lived realities, and expressing the believers’ yearning to witness the awaited one. The poet also made notable use of modern techniques such as irony and semantic as well as linguistic displacement. Munaf’s strong inclination toward metaphorical imagery, displacement, and religious intertextuality is clearly apparent—more so than his use of other poetic devices. Themes of anticipation, loyalty, devotion to the Ahl al-Bayt, and steadfastness in this path recur throughout Munaf’s poetry.
Research Findings
We observed that Abu al-Abbas integrated renewed perspectives into his poetry, addressing both traditional and modern purposes, and succeeded in reconciling the stylistic differences between them. His texts exhibit openness to new readings, made possible by his artistic sensibility. His employment of creative mechanisms and modern techniques led him to craft a distinctive, intense, and precise poetic image.
His poetic representations often appear through similes and metaphors imbued with displacement, which greatly contribute to crystallizing the sense of anticipation experienced by the audience. The cohesive textual interconnection that arises in the form of elegant intertextuality enables the poet to anchor the idea of waiting and the principle of Mahdism more firmly in the audience’s collective memory. His intertextual arguments in this regard are both persuasive and well-founded, establishing conviction in the expectant vision that he presents with clarity and distinction.
Discussion of Results and Conclusion
Abu al-Abbas integrated innovative techniques into his poetry with remarkable intelligence. His works display the use of deviation in its renewed semantic forms—semantic, structural, and rhythmic. Through abundant religious intertextuality, he expressed his cultural references, drawing from the Qur’an, religious narratives, and collective beliefs that reinforce the ideas of commitment and waiting.
Keywords
Main Subjects
The Sources and References:
A: Books
The Holy Qur'an
B: Journals
24. “__________________________,” “A Study of Stylistic Structures in Mahmoud
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