The Anxiety of Influence in Arabic poetry of the third and fourth centuries based on Harold Bloom's perspective (Sample of reading: Abou Al-Tayeb Motanabbi)

Document Type : research article

Authors

• Mina Mohammadi Saremi ¹
• Hosein Imanian ²
• Abbas Eghbali ³

¹ PhD Candidate in Arabic language and Literature, Kashan University, Kashan, Iran

² Associate Professor in Arabic language and Literature, Kashan University, Kashan, Iran

³ Professor in Arabic language and Literature, Kashan University, Kashan, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22067/jallv15.i2.2305-1267

Abstract

"The Anxiety of Influence" is a theory proposed by Harold Bloom that discusses the effectiveness of poets. It is based on intertextuality and focuses on the relationship between contemporary poets and the past, as well as their fear of their own effectiveness. The theory suggests that poets modify their speech in order to conceal their effectiveness and present themselves as creative individuals. This concern or fear of effectiveness is evident in many poems and reports from the third and fourth centuries of Arabic literature. This essay takes a comparative-analytical approach to examine the mindset of these composers by analyzing their poetic compositions, historical-literary reports, and the opinions of orators from that time period. It aims to explore their worries and concerns regarding topics such as innovation and imitation. Additionally, using Bloom's theory as a guide, it examines the strategies employed by Abou Al-Tayeb Motanabbi to present his historical statements in a new light. The research demonstrates that these composers' confrontations with the limited opinions of their predecessors and contemporaries are rooted in psychological impulses and mental worries, rather than personal competition or militancy. Furthermore, the rhetorical approaches used during that time period added to the psychological pressure they experienced. Therefore, further research is necessary. The composers mock others while boasting about their artistic talent, which reveals their anxiety and worry about efficacy. They employ techniques such as brevity, exaggerated imagery, reversing repetitive concepts, using distant metaphors, and implicit or explicit analogies instead of weak examples to make repetitive forms and objects feel fresh and establish themselves as innovative poets.

Keywords

• Poetic Plagiarism
• Anxiety of Influence
• Motanabbi
• Harold Bloom

Main Subjects

• Literary Criticism

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