What are the Three Styles of Arabic Poetry?

Versification is indeed used for lyrics of various kinds, but in most cases there would be room for these in an encomium; for, as we have seen, love is what is supposed to inspire it.

Occasionally, the poet is the subject of his own eulogy, and apparently there is no technical objection to introducing verses of the kind into the eulogy of some one else; at times, however, that other person refused to pay for verses of this sort.

The poetical epistle, usually taking the form of a remonstrance, is common; but unless we accept the doctrine that versification is poetry.

We might not reckon this style with the latter, and if we accepted it we should have to extend the term to “poems” on grammar or the various readings of the Koran.

It is best, therefore, to confine Arabic poetry to the three recognized styles called Eulogy, Satire, and Dirge.

The wizard, in spite of his powers, is ordinarily refused ad­mittance into the best society, and when poetry became a recognized profession, it was frequently regarded as not quite respectable.

One who possessed the power could levy blackmail, since it was worth the expense to pay a poet not to satirize a man of eminence, and we have a curious collection of anecdotes illustrating the lengths to which men were driven by this fear of being made ridiculous.

Legislation was at times attempted with the view of suppressing satire, but it does not appear to have been effective.

On the other hand, taking money for ascribing to men virtues which they did not possess at times seemed no reputable mode of earning a livelihood.

Hence, even those who followed this calling assure their patrons that they are not praising them for any base considerations not as a rule with any desire to be taken at their word.

The other artistic form of literature is rhymed prose, supposed to have been used in ancient times for oracles, and in historic times employed where choiceness of language was desirable, e.g., in solemn speeches and formal epistles.

We hear of ministers of state who got so into the habit of composing in rhymed prose that they adhered to this form in ordinary conversation. One of the few Arabic books which have some popularity in Europe.

The Makamahs of Hariri is in this style and counts as a model of it. This name might be rendered Mime, as the Greek works which have been recently discovered bearing that name are similar in plan, at least to a considerable extent.

The inventor of the style among the Arabs was one Ahmad of Hamadhan, known as the Wonder of the Age, possibly in consequence of this invention. He belongs to the fourth century of Islam, and displayed far greater ingenuity than his more popular imitator.

The idea is in some cases to reproduce humorous situations, in the form of a dialogue that is narrated, but more frequently to exhibit the hero executing some linguistic or rhetorical feat.

In the main, the leading note of the Makamah is obtaining alms or goods on false pretences of some sort.

Here too, the un- suitability of the people for continuous intellectual effort is very noticeable.

The inventor’s pieces rarely exceed a few pages, and his chief imitator, though he has clearly a greater command of langu­age, has obvious difficulty in excogitating situations, and has often to have recourse to puerilities and occasionally to obscenity.

Although, then, the style afforded opportunities for development, little use was made of them; and no other experiments in it besides those that have been mentioned have found many readers.