The Dynamics of the War Imagery in the Mu‘allaqa of ‘Amr ibn Kulthum: An Analytical Study

Abstract

Pre-Islamic life was characterized by hardship and harshness as a result of the desert environment that surrounded people from all directions. This tragic mode of life was a major cause of the frequent wars that occurred at the time; consequently, warfare became widely familiar to most pre-Islamic Arabs and was, at times, regarded as sacred, serving as a means of survival and the attainment of life’s objectives.These wars were driven by numerous and varied motives, most notably economic and social ones. The economic motive was primarily related to the search for basic necessities of life, namely pasture and water, whereas the social motive was associated with the tribe, including loyalty to it and the duty of defending it.

Accordingly, poets of that era devoted considerable attention to the theme of war. Many of them depicted these conflicts, describing them in diverse and elaborate ways, and documented the so-called “Days of the Arabs” through their poetry. Among these poets was ʿAmr ibn Kulthūm, who became renowned for his long martial ode, in which he offered a vivid and masterful portrayal of warfare, adopting a dynamic mode of imagery that distinguished his composition.

Through this dynamic imagery, the poet succeeded in rendering his ode vibrant and ever-renewed. His careful selection of verbs, along with the repetition of sounds, words, and structures, enabled him to create a powerful martial dynamism that draws the reader into the depth of the experience and positions them as a witness to the unfolding scenes