Description
Book SynopsisA robust defense of a poetic genius
Abu Tammam (d. 231 or 232/845 or 846) is one of the most celebrated poets in the Arabic language. Born in Syria to Greek Christian parents, he converted to Islam and quickly made his name as one of the premier Arabic poets in the caliphal court of Baghdad, promoting a new style of poetry that merged abstract and complex imagery with archaic Bedouin language. Both highly controversial and extremely popular, this sophisticated verse influenced all subsequent poetry in Arabic and epitomized the modern style (badi?), an avant-garde aesthetic that was very much in step with the intellectual, artistic, and cultural vibrancy of the Abbasid dynasty.
In The Life and Times of Abu Tammam, translated into English for the first time, the courtier and scholar Abu Bakr Mu?ammad ibn Ya?yaal-?uli (d. 335 or 336/946 or 947) mounts a robust defense of modern poetry and of Abu Tammam's significance as a poet against his detractors, whil
Trade Review
Another welcome addition to the Library of Arabic Literature....In the field of Arabic poetry and poetics in general, and classical Arabic poetry and criticism in particular, I expect the impact of this project to be groundbreaking. The study of Arabic poetry, both modern and classical, has the potential of being significantly affected by the introduction of voices like al-Sulis, especially when presented in fresh and timely translations as is the case here. -- Hoda Fakhreddine * Journal of the American Oriental Society *
