Rhetorical Aesthetics in the Poetry of Muhammad Mahdi Al-Jawahiri: An Analytical Study of the Poem ‘O Tigris of Goodness’

Abstract

This study examines the rhetorical dimensions of Al-Jawahiri's poetry (1903–1997) through analytical and critical lenses, exploring the key rhetorical techniques he employed across the sciences of bayan, badi', and ma'ani. It argues that Al-Jawahiri employed rhetoric not merely as an aesthetic device, but as a vehicle for conveying his intellectual vision and emotional experience—whether in patriotic and nostalgic poetry, love and lyrical verse, or satirical and social critique. The study adopts a stylistic-analytical methodology combining description, interpretation, and evaluation, drawing on selected texts as primary examples. It concludes that Al-Jawahiri represents a unique stylistic phenomenon in modern Arabic poetry, one that drew upon the classical rhetorical heritage and redeployed it within a contemporary expressive context.

The rhetorical devices in al-Jawahiri's poetry are deeply intertwined with his central themes, particularly those of homeland and exile, love, and political and social critique, making the rhetorical form an integral part of the content, not separate from it. Al-Jawahiri represents a unique link between classical Arabic rhetoric and modern poetic trends, affirming that originality and innovation can coexist within a single poetic experience without contradiction. There is a clear need for more specialized studies that examine al-Jawahiri's poetry in its entirety using modern stylistic tools, with the aim of revealing the depth of its expressive power and the breadth of its artistic horizons.