A reading into the thought of the poet Abi Tammam

Abstract

   There are many old Arabic literary critiques whose intellectual contributions continue to be outstanding. Abu-tammam El-Taài, the poet, is just one of them. His prose and poetry tell much of his critical teachings and innovative ideas—which actually constitute the core of the present article. This paper looks, then, into the effects of El-Taài’s ideas on old and modern Arabic literary criticism. The overall aim of this article is to answer two basic questions: what contributions did he make in the field of old prose criticism? And did these contributions match his efforts in renewing both the form and content of Arabic poetry?