The Body in Arabic Love Poetry: The 'Udhri Tradition

Jokha Alharthi re-evaluates the relationship between love, poetry, and Arab society in the 8th to 11th centuries, challenging traditional views of chastity and the body in Udhri poetry. She highlights the key differences between poetry and later sources, explores the influence of pre-Islamic poetry, and examines the representation of both the beloved's and the poet's bodies.

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 31 May 2021
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Jokha Alharthi re-appraises the relationship between love, poetry, and Arab society in the 8th to 11th centuries, challenging familiar clichés about the purity of love in Udhri poetry, an Arabic counterpart to the western medieval concept of unconsummated courtly love. She focuses on the key differences between what the poetry itself says and the views of later sources about Udhri poets and their works, documenting how the representation of the beloved in the Udhri ghazal was influenced by pre-Islamic poetry and examining how this poetry treats not only the body of the beloved but also that of her lover, the poet himself.

Alharthi's approach to Udhri poetry is unique in that she avoids the traditional emphasis on chastity and the assumption that this poetry omits any concept of the body. She argues that the poetry itself says more than what has been traditionally understood and that the views of later sources about Udhri poets and their works have been influenced by pre-Islamic poetry.

One of the key differences between Udhri poetry and other forms of Arabic poetry is the emphasis on the body. Udhri poetry is characterized by its use of vivid imagery and sensual language, which is often used to describe the physical beauty of the beloved. This emphasis on the body is not unique to Udhri poetry, but it is particularly pronounced in this genre.

Alharthi argues that the representation of the beloved in the Udhri ghazal was influenced by pre-Islamic poetry. She cites examples of pre-Islamic poetry that depict the beloved as a beautiful and desirable object, and she shows how this tradition developed with a series of overlapping historical layers.

One of the most significant influences on Udhri poetry was the work of the poet Al-Mutanabbi. Al-Mutanabbi was a prolific poet who lived in the 10th century and was known for his love poems. His poetry was characterized by its use of vivid imagery and sensual language, and it was often used to describe the physical beauty of the beloved.

Al-Mutanabbi's poetry was also influenced by the cultural and social context of his time. He lived in a time when the Arab world was undergoing significant changes, and he was influenced by the rise of Islam and the changing attitudes towards women.

Despite the emphasis on the body in Udhri poetry, Alharthi argues that this poetry does not omit any concept of the body. She points out that the poetry often describes the physical sensations of love, such as the feeling of being touched or the taste of the beloved's lips.

Alharthi also examines how this poetry treats not only the body of the beloved but also that of her lover, the poet himself. She argues that the poetry often depicts the poet as a vulnerable and emotional person, and that he is often portrayed as being in love with the beloved.

In addition to its emphasis on the body, Udhri poetry is also characterized by its use of metaphor and symbolism. Alharthi argues that the poetry often uses metaphor and symbolism to convey the emotional and spiritual aspects of love.

One of the most famous examples of metaphor and symbolism in Udhri poetry is the use of the rose. The rose is a symbol of love and beauty, and it is often used in Udhri poetry to describe the physical beauty of the beloved.

Alharthi also examines how this poetry treats the concept of love itself. She argues that the poetry often depicts love as a complex and multifaceted emotion, and that it is often difficult to define.

In conclusion, Jokha Alharthi's re-appraisal of the relationship between love, poetry, and Arab society in the 8th to 11th centuries is a significant contribution to the field of Arabic literature. She challenges familiar clichés about the purity of love in Udhri poetry and examines the key differences between what the poetry itself says and the views of later sources about Udhri poets and their works. She also documents how the representation of the beloved in the Udhri ghazal was influenced by pre-Islamic poetry and examines how this poetry treats not only the body of the beloved but also that of her lover, the poet himself. Alharthi's approach to Udhri poetry is unique in that she avoids the traditional emphasis on chastity and the assumption that this poetry omits any concept of the body. She argues that the poetry itself says more than what has been traditionally understood and that the views of later sources about Udhri poets and their works have been influenced by pre-Islamic poetry.

Weight: 590g
Dimension: 234 x 156 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781474486330