Sources and tributaries of the poetic image in Ibn Sakra al-Hashemi

Abstract

  The poetic image is a tool used by the poet to express his visions and feelings. It is a poet's refined taste, embodying meaning and presenting it in a manner that lends the literary work its uniqueness and impact. It is what distinguishes the poet from others, and is understood by those who see it as the foundation of the poem and a faithful translation of the poet's innermost thoughts. The sources and tributaries of the image are numerous for the poet Ibn Sukkara al-Hashimi. Among the first of these sources were nature, both silent and moving, followed by the debauchery for which the poet was famous, and heritage in its literary, historical, and religious forms. These sources reflected the poet's experience in his poems.