Ebook: The case of rhyme versus reason: Ibn al-Rūmī and his poetics in context

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 themun 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."