Ibn Ṭabāṭabā on the Perception and Influence of Poetry

Abstract

An exceptional place in medieval Arabic literary criticism is held by a work that can be seen as a true representation of medieval Arabic poetics in many respects: ʿIyār aš-šiʿr (The Standard of Poetry) by Ibn Ṭabāṭabā al-ʿAlawī (d. 334/933). This study provides a summary of Ibn Ṭabāṭabā’s most significant ideas concerning the creation and characteristics of poetry, particularly focusing on his insights into the reception of poems. Ibn Ṭabāṭabā stands out as the sole known author who paid attention to the reception of poems, basing his inquiries on the functioning of the senses. He formulated an intriguing experiment employing concepts such as ṭarab (joy, pleasure), aryaḥiyya (enthusiasm, rapture, generosity), and iltiḏāḏ (enjoyment, pleasure), which encompass the potential for cognitive acceptance, spiritual joy, and attitude modification. As the author emphasizes, “the [good] poem makes the coward brave”.