مجله زبان و ادبیات عربی
سال شانزدهم شماره 1 (پیاپی 36، ربیع 1445)

This article examines the views of two poets, Abū al-ʿAlāʾ al-Maʿarrī and Khāqāni Shervani, towards women. Abū al-ʿAlā was a blind poet known for his pessimism, which led to his anger towards material life and its people, particularly women. In contrast, Khāqāni, a Persian poet recognized for the complexity of his lyrics and hidden meanings, is also noted for his pessimism; some researchers consider him one of the most pessimistic Persian poets regarding women. The issue of women occupies a central place in the poetry of both poets. Despite their negative views, they attribute significant positive roles to women, especially as mothers, elevating them from a state of inferiority to one filled with passion, love, and sublime spiritual feelings. This article aims to reveal the portrayal of women in the poetry of Al-Maʿarrī and Khaqani. This distinctive topic is central to their work and has been explored through a descriptive-analytical approach. The article follows the American School of Comparative Literature, seeking to identify similarities and differences in how both poets view women as mothers, daughters, wives, and lovers. It highlights the private and public motivations that have shaped their often hostile perspectives towards women. The conclusion suggests that both poets do not harbor hostility towards mothers; rather, they see them as sanctuaries providing comfort. However, regarding daughters, both express relief at their burial or death, albeit for different reasons. Overall, the lyrical themes in both poets' works are somewhat limited by their reliance on traditional meanings. The poetic landscape during their time did not allow for new interpretations; however, Khāqāni appears to have drawn more from lyrical meanings compared to Al-Maʿarrī.

Many researchers and sociologists have sought to investigate social conflict, its phenomena, and its effects on human society. Coser, influenced by Marxist thought, emphasized that social conflict arises when incompatible goals—whether tangible or intangible—collide. Given the deep-rooted and consistent relationship between literature and society, literature is shaped by its social context. It can be said that every literary text represents a social experience and serves as a tool for evaluating society, which is responsible for identifying social confrontations and potentially preventing them. This novel addresses the concerns of orphans, the homeless poor, and societal reformers, portraying their tragedies and conflicts with society and those in power. Consequently, the researchers decided to employ a descriptive analytical method based on Coser's theory. Their goal is to analyze the conflicting representations within the text and their role in shaping social and ideological relations as well as the discourse governing the novel. The motivation behind this research stems from the belief that studying literature—especially novels—from a sociological perspective provides a new and accurate lens for analysis. One of the key findings of this research is that various types of contrasts exist in the text according to Coser's theory, with power playing a decisive role in real conflict. When the two protagonists realize they are distant from political decisions that affect their lives and have no stake in them, their tension with authorities intensifies, rendering their conflict increasingly unrealistic. Internal conflict also manifests through conflicting goals and beliefs within society, where self-interest becomes the primary objective.

The village holds a significant place in contemporary narrative discourse, showcasing its narrative essence through ballads and vivid imagery. Utilizing various conceptual connotations, the village adapts its functions based on the poet's interactions and his reliance on themes that relate either realistically or dreamily to this setting. Mohammad Afifi Matar, a prominent Egyptian poet, perceives the village as an open space rich in narrative mechanisms and characteristics, emphasizing its importance through scenes from his hometown and the needs of its inhabitants. His poetry introduces readers to a series of real or imagined events, inviting them to engage more deeply with the narrative process. This research employs a descriptive-analytical method to explore the portrayal of the village in Matar's poetry. The findings suggest that the poet serves as a wise narrator with a significant presence in shaping these narratives. His depiction of the village encompasses three main aspects: nostalgia for his childhood and past; an optimistic image characterized by natural beauty and abundance; and a darker tragedy linked to the village's social and environmental challenges, manifesting in drought, poverty, and hunger among its residents.

Women are the foundation of every nation and civilization, holding a status and image that is as sacred as that of men. They are the birthplace of humanity and the originators of its generations, especially when their cause is linked to literature. Women serve as indispensable icons, particularly in Arabic literature. In the Arabic novel, women have a prominent presence and are central to how writers portray their ideas and perceptions. They represent an intellectual starting point for exploring various concerns, social and economic realities, and humanitarian issues. Consequently, women's issues have been a significant focus for Tunisian novelist Khawla Hamdy. This research aims to illuminate different aspects of working women's lives and their living conditions in Hamdy’s novels. It seeks to clarify Hamdy’s vision regarding working women in various contexts while showcasing her skill through character descriptions and analyses of imagined events. The study also aims to present the situation faced by Arab working women in society using a descriptive-analytical approach. Our findings indicate that women have successfully asserted their creative influence in Tunisian thought and literature. In her novels, Hamdy portrays working women as self-confident individuals who understand their rights. Their struggles to balance family responsibilities with professional tasks are evident, along with their dedication to their work.

The Quranic text represents one of the means through which the Creator expresses His creativity and shapes His messages, reflecting visions and patterns in accordance with the context of the Holy Quran. Given the significant and sacred role of the Holy Quran in human life, particularly for Muslims, many creators, especially poets, are drawn to narrate from this sacred text to enhance their works with realism and aesthetic depth. This topic highlights the profound interaction between the Quran and poetic expression. This research aims to illuminate the aesthetic and artistic value of Quranic references in contemporary Iraqi poetic discourse through the poetry of Mahdi Al-Nurairi. It seeks to reveal Al-Nurairi's use of Quranic techniques while pursuing valuable insights. The researcher employed a descriptive analytical approach to analyze and compare phenomena in detail, examining texts that exhibit either explicit or subtle manifestations of Quranic influence or its connotations. The analysis explains how these elements enhance the poetic text. The research yielded several key findings, notably that Al-Nurairi's poetry employs Quranic texts as a means of aesthetic depiction. He skillfully integrates these sacred texts into his work, utilizing his talent and poetic abilities to realize his artistic vision. As a result, his poetry is rich with various forms of Quranic influence that significantly contribute to its aesthetic appeal—an endeavor that Mahdi Al-Nurairi has successfully pursued throughout his poetic expression.

The dualism of the ego and the other is one of the most important topics of comparative literature, as this dialectical dualism refers mostly to class and civilizational conflict. To define the concept of the ego, there must be an ego/central ego through which we measure that other and recognize him. The other means another person or a different group. The other is the being that is different from the ego, and it is a relative and moving concept, because the other is only determined by comparison to a central point, which is the ego. The other is a reflection of the ego, and the Algerian novel is filled with the image of the French other, who remained stuck in the minds of the Algerians and was embodied in their writings despite independence. Therefore, this attempt seeks, through the descriptive-analytical approach, to study the most important things that Muammar Hojeij adopted in his depiction of the French other in his novels and to highlight the patterns of this other between negativity and positivity through his depiction of French characters. The results indicate that Hajej relied in his portrayal of the French other on several conflicts: including the civilizational conflict existing between the West and the East, the conflict existing between the Algerian and French identity, which colonialism is trying to erase, and the existing conflict between French writers who are passionate about France’s interests and the rights of their people, who are enthusiastic about the liberation of Algeria, and who oppose the crimes of French colonialism. The Frenchman and the images of the French other in the novels are of two types: negative and positive. The image of the French officer has a superior look and is characterized by violence and cruelty, and an image characterized by pity for the prisoners and sympathy for them. The same goes for the image of the professor, which is of two types: negative. It tries to destroy everything related to the Algerian Islamic identity, Algerian culture, and positivity, as it supports all movements at the level of defending Algerian freedom and independence, as well as with regard to the image of the writer, as Camus looks down on Algeria. Algeria’s civilization, according to Camus, is what the Romans left behind and backwardness is all that is attached. With the Arabs and their faces, while Sartre, in the same novel, defends the Algerian cause with all his might, exposes the crimes of French colonialism, and denounces the silence on them.