Emphasis and its Impact on Meaning Construction in Al-Jawahiri's Poetry

Abstract

One of the essential components of Arabic poetry, specifically in the poetry of Muhammad Mahdi al-Jawahiri, revolves around the concept of emphasis which contributes to construction of meaning and beautification. This linguistic tool is a key feature of the image of the poet, both in psychological, emotive, and intellectual terms. The sensuous and emotive density of Al-Jawahiri's poetry over the course of almost sixty years is a function of his mastery of emphasis, realized through repetition – of words, phrases, and rhetorical devices. Focusing on its effect on the structure and content in his poetic works, this study analyzes the different ways he uses emphasis in his works. Reflecting the evidence of this phenomenon throughout al-Jawahiri's poetry, opening and closing verses, this exclusive function of emphasis has not been discussed in academic literature or defined the psychological and emotional effects of it in meaning-making. This study mainly seeks to shed light on the function of emphasis in al-Jawahiri's poetry in terms of what kind of role they surface in poetry, what kind of extra-linguistic meaning they are supposed to convey, and what new emotional and psychological dimensions they offer. The results of the study indicate the prevalence of verbal emphasis in al-Jawahiri's poetry and its psychological and emotional implications. This method serves to enhance the emotional and artistic appeal of his work, linking him to the reader. The research presents a detailed investigation into emphasis, and the way it acts as a key element in the emotional and intellectual construction pertaining to his poetics. The present study investigates a relatively less-studied but broad category of Arabic poetic texts: namely, modern Arabic poetry that is primarily written in free verse while still demonstrating an arresting use of linguistic devices that amplify semantic and aesthetic functionality.