In Muslim rhetoric, there are some debates about the way odes are composed. One of the debates among poets and critics is a narrative that contains specific instructions for composing an ode. That is, poets must go through certain steps to compose a beautiful ode. According to the instructions, poets should first think about the meaning and then choose a suitable meter and rhyme. Finally, they are to correct and confirm the poems. This study attempts to find out what the philosophical basis of this method of writing poems is. The study concludes that this foundation has its roots in Aristotle's theory of language mentioned in Organon and Peri Hermeneias.
Extended abstract
Composing ode in the Arabic language and literature dates back to the pre-Islamic period. The poets of the Jahili period were familiar with the ode and used it to speak on various subjects. In Jahili period, the ode system was an institution that produced thoughts and expressed the meaning of the Jahili world through visual and rhythmic language.
As a rule, any theory about poetry is supported by a philosophy. One theory of poetry that is valid in the Islamic world is the theory of Abu Hilal Askari presented in Al-Sana’atein. Askari believes that poets should first think about the meaning they want to convey and then choose the rhyme and complete their poems. According to him, poets should go through five steps to compose a good poem: 1) deciding to write a poem; 2) preparing the meanings in their minds; 3) choosing a meter for the prepared meanings; 4) choosing an appropriate rhyme; and 5) composing and editing the written poem.
Abu Hilal’s philosophical ideas about writing a poem have not been well received so far. This may be because he is considered a member of a literary school rather than a member of a theological school. This study attempts to elucidate the philosophical underpinnings of some of the poetics popular among Muslim rhetoricians. However, it has its roots in the ideas of Aristotle. The study attempts to answer the question: Where are the philosophical roots of the theory that specifies a method of poetic writing known in the Islamic world?
It is noteworthy that Aristotle drastically influenced the Islamic world, so researchers cannot simply ignore his presence even if it seems that he cannot have any influence. In any case, researchers should be careful and recognize his probable impact. Aristotle’s Organon contains a theoretical discussion of the nature and function of language. This prompts researchers to consider Aristotle’s role in poetry writing methods. Aristotle includes four elements in his considerations: Sensual passivity, speech, writing, and external reality. It should be mentioned here that for Aristotle, words are representatives of the soul's inactivity. Comparing and contrasting Aristotle’s ideas and Abu Hilal Askari’s views on writing poetry make some things clear. Aristotle discusses sensual passivity and its representative (i.e., the word) in the methods of writing poetry. Muslim rhetoricians also speak of two elements corresponding to each other or one representing the other: the first is “meaning” and the other is “meter and rhyme”." Askari emphasizes that poets should first prepare the meanings in their minds and then consider how to deal with these meanings and choose a rhyme suitable for them. This means that poets cannot choose any meter or rhyme for any meaning, just as Aristotle said that poets should choose the words that represent sensual inactivity, not the words that lack such capabilities. The mentioned correspondence between Aristotle's theory and the theory of Muslim rhetoricians in this regard can be presented as follows:
Sensual passives → Vocabulary (special)
Meanings → Meter and rhyme
It can be concluded that Aristotle’s ideas about language, words and meanings were the origin for part of the poetic theory of the Muslims in the Islamic world.