The grammatical structure of the conditional sentence in the poetry of Muhammad Salih Bahr al-Ulum

Abstract

This research is an analytical study of the grammatical structure of the conditional sentence in the collection of poems of the Iraqi poet Muhammad Salih Bahr al-Ulum. It highlights the role of the conditional sentence as a linguistic device that links cause and effect in poetic texts. The research examines in detail the affirmative conditional tools such as "if, who, what, no matter, where, when, how, which" and the non-affirmative conditional tools such as "if, if, if not, when, when, whenever, and as for", explaining their grammatical characteristics and the temporal and contextual connotations they confer on the poem. It also reveals the poet's extensive use of this device to express various psychological states such as challenge, pain, and wishful thinking, while adhering to grammatical rules in most cases and departing from them at times with justified poetic ingenuity, such as omitting the connecting "fa" or using uncommon structures. The research concludes that the conditional sentence forms a fundamental structure in shaping meaning and enriching connotation in his poetry, making it an effective tool for expressing poetic vision and emotional stances.