Night and the Construction of Meaning: A Comparative Rhetorical Analysis of Ibn Ma'touq al-Mousawi's Poetry Collection

Abstract

The use of symbols in literature is considered an effective tool for indirectly expressing the thoughts and concerns of poets and writers. Night, as an element of nature and one of the important times, has always been a subject of interest for poets from different literatures throughout history. It brings peace and tranquility to the soul after the troubles of the day at times, and at other times it brings pain, worries, and sorrows when loved ones leave and depart. It is the constant companion, and the beloved of the poet's dreadful solitude, in which he sings with his deep imagination the melody of longing and yearning. Night has a brilliant image among the poetic images in the lives of many poets. It may suggest a time of illusion, life, lethargy, anxiety, fear, oppressor, enemy, etc. This temporal element has found a symbolic presence, which means that the writer and poet did not address it directly.  However, he attempted to express his concerns and innermost feelings by identifying with this temporal element and utilizing the dynamic cognitive capacity hidden within it. This research aims to uncover the symbolism of night in the poetry of Ibn Ma'tuq al-Musawi, taking into account the analysis of the motivations and reasons that led the poet to adopt a symbolic approach in employing the concept of night in his poems. One of the most important findings of this research is that the poet, through deep contemplation of the element of night and his inclination towards it, used night as a symbol for loneliness, separation, despair, pain, and memories of bygone days. Furthermore, the creative and imaginative impact of the poet's poems paints a beautiful picture of his feelings towards the night, allowing him to whisper his worries in solitude. The relationship between night and imagination in his work is remarkably similar