Rhétorique de la distance : comment le poète négocie sa place auprès du patron au début de l’époque abbasside

Abstract

This article investigates the relationship between the early Abbassid poet and his patron. Instead of focusing on verbal interactions or on the circulation of wealth between them, it analyses the spatial positions of both parties, which contribute too to negotiate the distance between them. This proxemics starts from the door of the patron who, even if he cannot be seen at this stage, is not totally absent and organises the entrance screening and therefore guarantees access to the poets who accept the rules of the game. Once in front of the patron, the contender’s behaviour and the expression of his pretences is organised by a set of rules of precedence and propriety. Eventually, separation is also strictly regulated in order to avoid a crisis. All these various forms of control ensure the efficient and generally peaceful functioning of the patronal institution.