Characteristics of Andalusian Poetry By IBN Zaydun: A Review

Abstract

The characteristics of poems written by Ibn Zaydun, a neoclassical poet whose popularity extended beyond Arab civilization, were explored in this article. Regarded among the greatest poet of Andalus and all of Arab civilization, he is famous for writing various poems and prose, especially on love. Among his works, two poems are responsible for his fame, named Qafiyya and Nuniyya. These two masterpieces of Andalus literature will be discussed in this article, particularly in their strong interpretation of Ibn Zaydun's life as an individual and as a poet. In Qafiyya, there are fifteen lines/verses throughout the poem. As the poem is relatively short in terms of the number of verses, the discussion about its characteristics will be carried out throughout the poem. While in Nuniyya, the fifty verses long content will be discussed in sections. The poem will be separated into five major sections; Sections 1 (verses 1-7), 2 (verses 8-19), 3 (verses 20-34), 4 (verses 35-42), and 5 (verses 43-50). Both poems will be discussed thoroughly regarding the key and supportive characteristics that stand out most. These characteristics will be used as subjects to reflect on the poet's mind as he writes the poems. The main objective is to propose insight into the understanding of Arabic literature by integrating the notions of materiality into the discussion.