The Poetics of Parallelism in Sheikh Abdul-Hadi Al-Sudi’s ‘Bulbul Al-Afrah’ Collection of Poems [Diwan]

Abstract

This study aims to explore the poetics of parallelism in ‘Bulbul Al-Afrah’ collection of poems [Diwan] by Sheikh Abdul-Hadi Al-Sudi through examining both symmetrical and asymmetrical structures, and identifying their aesthetic and semantic significance and function within his poetic text. For the study purposes, the stylistic approach was adopted. The study is divided into two main sections, preceded by an introduction and a preliminary section, and followed by a conclusion. The preliminary section defines the concepts of poetics and parallelism. The first section addresses the poetics of parallelism in symmetrical structures, while the second section discusses the poetics of parallelism in asymmetrical structures. The study results revealed that the parallelism of both symmetrical and asymmetrical structures constitutes a prominent phenomenon in Al-Sudi’s Diwan, appearing strikingly in the texts on both horizontal and vertical levels. The poetics of parallelism in symmetrical structures, whether phonetic, morphological, or syntactic, carries rhythmic aesthetic and semantic value which contributes to the cohesion of the poetic text’s parts, enhances its musical rhythm, and deepens its semantic impact. Meanwhile, the poetics of parallelism in asymmetrical structures is manifested through antithetical parallels and contrasting structures, signifying the juxtaposition of opposites. This reflects the poet’s experiential journey, worldview, and stance on life and existence.