The Purpose of Praise in the Poem “Bān al-Shabāb” by the poet Ibn al-Rūmī: From Structural Analysis to Stylistic Construction

Abstract

Abbasid poetry represents an important stage in the development of the structure of the classical Arabic ode, both in form and content. One of the most notable features of this period is the innovation in poetic themes, from the elegiac prelude (nasīb) in pre-Islamic poetry to the wine prelude in Abbasid poetry, which became a defining feature of the poetic structure in that era.

This article, however, focuses on analyzing the purpose of praise in the poem “Bān al-Shabāb” by the poet Ibn al-Rūmī, moving from structural analysis to stylistic construction. It examines the characteristics of the poetic formation of the praise motif through structural analysis, leading to an exploration of stylistic construction. The study adopts a stylistic approach that allows for the analysis of literary style through procedures of selection, combination, and deviation (defamiliarization), in order to uncover the aesthetic effect embedded in the poem.