Morphological Structures in the Poetry of Abu al-Atahiyah

Abstract

This study analyses the morphological structures in the poetry collection of Abu al-Atahiyah as a model of ascetic poetry in the early Abbasid period. It aims to reveal the morphological characteristics that distinguished his poetic language and how he employed them to convey ascetic meanings and express aspects of the human psyche. The study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach examining prominent morphological phenomena such as verb and noun conjugations augment forms derivatives pronouns defective verbs and genitive constructions. The study concluded that Abu al-Atahiyah tended to use hyperbole and present tense verbs to suggest continuity and repetition and frequently employed the active and passive participles in his poetry to achieve semantic intensification. The presence of imperative and supplicative forms is notable reflecting the nature of the homiletic discourse. Furthermore the phenomena of substitution and elision appear as stylistic features that influenced the internal rhythm. The poet makes extensive use of the tafaul and tafaul forms to express spiritual and psychological transformations whilst separate and attached pronouns are employed to establish the first-person speaker for self-expression and the second-person addressee to create a dialogue with the reader. His poetry is not devoid of certain rare morphological phenomena such as the construction of what is not normally constructed reflecting his occasional influence from colloquial dialects or the demands of metre. The study concludes that the morphological structures in Abu al-Atahiyahs poetry were not neutral but rather served the ascetic visioni they were simple for the most part yet capable of conveying profound moral implications.