Allegories of Ruin: Architecture and Knowledge in Early Arabic Poetry
In: Journal of Arabic LiteratureSearch for other papers by Hassanaly Ladha in
Current site
Google Scholar
Abstract
This study examines the architectural lexicon (ṭalal, dār, rasm, bayt) of early Arabic poetry, interrogating the relation between built and linguistic form in the nasīb. I argue that the interpenetration of the aṭlāl and khayāl motifs and of other structural elements of the qaṣīdah allegorizes the fleeting and phantasmatic nature of all linguistic and material structures. In the early Arabic episteme, poetic forms materialize history, delineating realities even as they fall endlessly into ruin. The implied theories of language and knowledge may inflect our understanding of the entire tradition of Arabo-Islamic expression emerging from this literary milieu.
Purchase
Buy instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Institutional Login
Log in with Open Athens, Shibboleth, or your institutional credentials
Personal login
Log in with your brill.com account
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 972 | 223 | 14 |
| Full Text Views | 137 | 15 | 2 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 201 | 43 | 3 |
Allegories of Ruin: Architecture and Knowledge in Early Arabic Poetry
In: Journal of Arabic LiteratureSearch for other papers by Hassanaly Ladha in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
This study examines the architectural lexicon (ṭalal, dār, rasm, bayt) of early Arabic poetry, interrogating the relation between built and linguistic form in the nasīb. I argue that the interpenetration of the aṭlāl and khayāl motifs and of other structural elements of the qaṣīdah allegorizes the fleeting and phantasmatic nature of all linguistic and material structures. In the early Arabic episteme, poetic forms materialize history, delineating realities even as they fall endlessly into ruin. The implied theories of language and knowledge may inflect our understanding of the entire tradition of Arabo-Islamic expression emerging from this literary milieu.
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 972 | 223 | 14 |
| Full Text Views | 137 | 15 | 2 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 201 | 43 | 3 |