Abdul-Ghaffar Al-Akhras: The Lost Voice of Eloquence Between the Waves of the Tigris and the Euphrates

Abstract

This research provides an in-depth analytical study of the poetry of the Iraqi poet ʿAbd al-Ghaffār al-Akhras (1805–1873), one of the most distinguished literary figures of the Ottoman period in Iraq. The study aims to reintroduce and reassess this poet’s significance within the framework of modern Arabic literary criticism, as his works have long been marginalized despite their eloquence and artistic mastery. Al-Akhras occupies a pivotal position between the classical Abbasid heritage and the socio-cultural transformations of nineteenth-century Iraq. His poetry preserves the traditional forms of Arabic verse while infusing them with personal sincerity, moral integrity, and emotional intensity that reflect a deep awareness of his historical context.

The research examines his major poetic themes—such as elegy, panegyric, love, and pride—highlighting the ethical and aesthetic dimensions that distinguish his artistic voice. It also explores his refined rhetorical style, where imagery and sound harmoniously blend to produce emotional and intellectual depth. The analysis draws on critical studies including Liqāʾ ʿĀdil al-Jumaylī’s work on figurative imagery, the Madad al-Adab journal article on temporal structure, and Abbas al-Azzawi’s scholarly edition of his Dīwān.

Furthermore, the paper provides a detailed interpretation of his celebrated elegy for his friend ʿAbd al-Ghanī Jamīl, which epitomizes his poetic maturity through vivid imagery, profound pathos, and formal eloquence. The study concludes that al-Akhras was not merely a traditionalist poet but a conscious preserver of classical eloquence, whose art bridges past and present, affirming the enduring vitality of Arabic rhetoric in an age of change.