The Objective Correlative in the Poetry of Majnun Layla (Qays ibn al-Mulawwah)

Abstract

This study examines the poetry of Qays ibn al-Mulawwah (Majnun Layla) from a cosmic and natural perspective, with the aim of revealing the presence of astronomical and natural phenomena in his poetry and exploring their semantic and aesthetic dimensions and their relationship to his poetic experience. The study traces the astronomical and natural terms and references found in his poetry and analyzes their use in constructing poetic imagery and revealing their symbolic and psychological connotations.

The study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach by examining the poetic texts, classifying the astronomical and natural phenomena occurring within them, and then analyzing them within their poetic contexts to uncover their semantic and aesthetic functions. The study is divided into three sections. The first examines astronomical correlatives, while the second focuses on natural correlatives. The third addresses real-life correlatives, which are associated with human life and the poet’s surrounding environment. The study concludes that astronomical and natural phenomena in the poetry of Majnun Layla do not occur merely as neutral descriptive elements; rather, they contribute to the construction of poetic imagery and the expression of the poet’s psychological and emotional states. They also reveal his ability to transform elements of the cosmos and nature into artistic and semantic devices that serve his emotional experience. The study further demonstrates the diversity of the sources of imagery in his poetry and the interplay between the sensory, psychological, and symbolic dimensions, reflecting the richness of his poetic experience and the depth of his relationship with the surrounding environment and the cosmos.