The Interaction between Memory and Imagination in the Poetry of Ibn al-Abbar al-Andalusi (d. 658 AH): An Analytical Study

Abstract

Poetry is the interpreter of the poetic soul and its expressive tongue, which can resort to a stimulating event to explode, flowing onto the pages of its author, immersed in the world of his feelings. This world is dominated by memory and its context, and imagination and its implications occupy a large portion of it. Through these two means, the poet grasps a host of details from around him, sharpening his idea before pouring it into the cups of the text. Therefore, we cannot, in any way, say that the poetic poem is born on the paths of creativity, isolated and devoid of the constantly accumulating memory and forces of Imagination is the link between discordant things; otherwise, we could loudly claim that they are of unknown lineage. Therefore, we chose this title for our study, as a perseverance to clarify the roles of memory and imagination in shaping Ibn al-Abbar's poetic text. We will try to avoid delving into the ramifications of the two technical concepts and to avoid, as much as possible, their historical sequence. This is because others have preceded us in many works and studies, and have elaborated on them in a way that leaves no ambiguity looming over them. This is why we must do so. In this study, we will focus on the two themes of erotic poetry and urban elegy, and the longing and nostalgia they contain. Focusing on a specific theme enables us to arrive at precise and clear conclusions. We will shed light on long poetic texts that contain more than one memory image, and will analyze them in detail to uncover their dark corners and unveil what they contain, so that the memory stimulus becomes clear, the imaginative contribution becomes evident, and the desired goal becomes apparent.