The Poetics of Displacement in the Poetry of Ibn al-Haddad al-Andalusi (d. 480 AH)

Abstract

The theory of deviation in ancient and modern literary and critical studies has been one of the most important pillars of poetics, especially modern poetics, to the point that it has become one of the main tools by which critics judge modern poetic experiments. Moreover, they have applied it meticulously to ancient poetic experiments deeply rooted in the Arab heritage, considering these ancient poetic experiments no less significant than their modern counterparts. On the contrary, they are considered the origin of modern poetic experiments in their emergence and construction through reshaping and reformulation. Without this origin, the branch would not have the chance to survive. From this perspective, one of the aims of this brief study is to explore the features of that poetics achieved through the element of stylistic deviation in one of the ancient poetic experiments that is considered among the most prominent poetic experiments produced by the Andalusian environment. This poetic experiment was considered a unique haven for the element of deviation, to the point that it became a distinctive linguistic and personal signature in the experience of Ibn al-Haddad al-Andalusi in particular, and in other poetic experiments in general. This resulted in many benefits, especially aesthetic ones, including that feature which all texts strive to emulate. Poetry, to reach its full potential, in order to achieve the qualities of uniqueness, difference, and immortality.