Case of Rhyme Versus Reason

The poetry of the extremely prolific and versatile 'Abb?sid poet Ibn al-R?m? is examined in this book. Part 1, The Poet, reconstructs the poet's life and times providing the background for Part II, The Poetry, which traces the influences in Ibn al-R?m?'s distinctive poetic style and themes. This provides a glimpse into a rather fluid period in Arabic literary history when the boundary between poetry and prose was becoming increasingly permeable, due to the emergence of the so-called...
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The poetry of the extremely prolific and versatile 'Abb?sid poet Ibn al-R?m? is examined in this book. Part 1, The Poet, reconstructs the poet's life and times providing the background for Part II, The Poetry, which traces the influences in Ibn al-R?m?'s distinctive poetic style and themes. This provides a glimpse into a rather fluid period in Arabic literary history when the boundary between poetry and prose was becoming increasingly permeable, due to the emergence of the so-called "secretary-poets," and to the prevalence and importance of the "mun arah, or disputation. Part III, The Poem, analyzes the poet's celebrated 282-line poem commemorating the quashing of the Zanj rebellion. The towering architectonics and sophisticated organization of this poem provide an ideal opportunity to explore Ibn al-R?m?'s poetic contribution.