The Dialectic of the Self and the Other in the Poetry of Abu Ali Al-Basir: A Study on the Conflict between the Self and Reality

Abstract

This study presents an in-depth analysis of the image of the self ("I") and the image of the other in the poetry of Abu Ali Al-Basir, based on a collection of his poetic texts that reflect his human and social experience. The importance of this research lies in shedding light on the poet’s unique experience as one of the Abbasid era poets who suffered from visual impairment, and how this influenced the formation of his self-perception and his relationship with society. The study aims to understand how self-identity is constructed in the context of human challenges, and how the poet interacts with his surroundings in building this identity, through an objective analysis of the texts using a literary critical methodology.

The results show that the image of the "self" in Abu Ali Al-Basir’s poetry is characterized by complexity, oscillating between pride in inner insight and acceptance of the weakness resulting from his impairment, reflecting a deep psychological conflict. In contrast, the image of the "other" appears as a composite element ranging between appreciation and critique, where the poet uses the other sometimes as a means to reinforce his self, and at other times to criticize society. This study contributes to enriching the literary understanding of poets’ experiences who face special challenges, and opens new horizons for studying the dialectical relationship between the self and the other in Abbasid Arabic poetry.