Self-address in Pre Islamic Arabic poetry elected models

Abstract

Self-address in pre-Islamic Arabic poetry represents an artistic tool and a rhetorical device through which the poet conveys his psychological struggles and inner conflicts. Poets employed this technique to express internal tensions, to review the self, and to reveal human attitudes through a direct style known as self-monologue. This research aims to explore the phenomenon of self-address in pre-Islamic Arabic poetry by analyzing and interpreting selected poetic models. It highlights a significant aspect of the pre-Islamic poetic experience, where the poet engages in dialogue with himself, expressing his thoughts, reflections, and imaginations—whether with contentment and approval, or through self-examination and evaluation of past actions. This often results in deep feelings of guilt, regret, or transcendence over what was done, forming a standard of judgment through which the poet’s vision emerges, either by affirming positive actions or acknowledging shortcomings, along with their details.

The moments of self-address, analyzed through a descriptive-analytical method, were linked to specific expressions with diverse purposes and objectives. This revealed the manifestation of the concept of the “self” both linguistically and terminologically, as well as in its pre-Islamic poetic forms. The first part of the study addresses self-address in states of satisfaction and approval, while the second part explores self-address in other states, namely blame and regret. The study concludes with a summary of the most important findings.