The Aesthetics of Poetic Imagery in Jaber Al-Kadhimi’s Poetry and Its Artistic Manifestations

Abstract

The poetic image aims to embody abstract meanings in a tangible and impactful form, serving as the soul that grants the poetic text depth and beauty, enabling the reader to emotionally engage with the poetic experience. This study explores the aesthetics of poetic imagery in the poetry of the Iraqi poet Jaber Al-Kadhimi through an analysis of selected samples from his poetic works. The study examines the types of poetic imagery in Al-Kadhimi’s poetry, including psychological, sensory, symbolic, cosmic, and spatial images, highlighting the stylistic diversity the poet employs in constructing these images, such as personification, hyperbole, intertextuality, contrast, and imagination. The findings reveal that Al-Kadhimi activates various senses in shaping his images, lending them a vivid and sensory dimension. Additionally, he utilizes symbols, myths, and religious and historical heritage to create scenes with high expressive energy. The analysis demonstrates that the image in Al-Kadhimi’s poetry is not merely an expressive tool but embodies his vision of existence, the sacred, and the self, while highlighting the spiritual dimension of poetic language with a clear awareness of modern artistic techniques. The study suggests that his poetry should be regarded as a fertile field for analyzing the patterns of imagery in contemporary Arabic poetry, especially given the scarcity of critical studies addressing his work.