Manifestations of the Wise and Transcendnt self in the Poetry of Ibn al-Khayyate al-Dimashqi(d. 517 AH)

Abstract

The artistic phenomena in poetic texts—particularly in classical poetry—are remarkably diverse, owing to the richness of their language, the solidity of their structure, and the beauty of their poetic fabric. Such diversity reflects the abundance and maturity of the poets’ experiences. This study seeks to examine a specific aspect of the poetry of Ibn al-Khayyāt al-Dimashqī, a poet whose works may justly be described as having taken an explicitly aesthetic orientation, producing images of notable beauty and emotional resonance. The research focuses on the representations of the self in his poetry, through an analytical exploration of these representations and their relation to the poetic image. In doing so, it aims to uncover the aesthetic value of imagery as shaped by the manifestations of the self within his verse. The objective of the study is to highlight poetic examples wherein the self is employed as a distinctive functional representation, which, as demonstrated, constitutes a central factor in shaping imagery and generating meaning within the texts. The study concludes with a set of findings presented at its end.