"Manifestations of Image and Symbol in the Poetic Style of Abdo Khal’s Novel The Lament of the Seductress"

Abstract

This research examines the poetic style in the novel ل by the Saudi novelist abdah kaal, highlighting the manifestations of overlap between poetic and narrative discourse. The study focuses on two major artistic elements: imagery and symbolism, as essential techniques that contributed to shaping the aesthetic and artistic structure of the novel. The research is based on the assumption that the modern Arabic novel no longer relies solely on direct narration; rather, it tends to employ poetic language with its suggestive, imaginative, and expressive capacities that deepen meaning and enrich the literary experience.

The study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach in examining narrative passages and analyzing the patterns of poetic imagery and symbolic expressions employed throughout the text, together with their aesthetic and semantic functions. The findings reveal that Abdo Khal successfully achieved a significant integration between narration and poetry through a highly suggestive and emotionally charged language. Poetic imagery played a central role in embodying the characters’ emotions and psychological conflicts, while symbolism contributed to intensifying meaning and broadening the horizons of interpretation for the reader. The study also demonstrates the prominent presence of natural symbols in the novel as expressive tools reflecting the psychological, social, and intellectual transformations of the characters, thereby granting the narrative a profound aesthetic and artistic dimension.