The Poetics Of Islamic Legitimacy: Myth, Gender, And Ceremony In The Classical Arabic Ode

Book Summary

..". transcends the realm of literature and poetic criticism toinclude virtually every field of Arabic and Islamic studies." -- RogerAllen Throughout the classical Arabic literary tradition, from itsroots in pre-Islamic Arabia until the end of the Golden Age in the 10th century, thecourtly ode, or qasida, dominated other poetic forms. In The Poetics of IslamicLegitimacy, Suzanne Stetkevych explores how this poetry relates to ceremony andpolitical authority and how the classical Arabic ode encoded and promoted a myth andideology of legitimate Arabo-Islamic rule. Beginning with praise poems topre-Islamic Arab kings, Stetkevych takes up poetry in praise of the Prophet Mohammedand odes addressed to Arabo-Islamic rulers. She explores the rich tradition ofArabic praise poems in light of ancient Near Eastern rites and ceremonies, gender, and political culture. Stetkevych's superb English translations capture theimmediacy and vitality of classical Arabic poetry while opening up a multifacetedliterary tradition for readers everywhere.

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