The poetic experience in the collection "Thawrat Al-Bahr" between tradition and innovation

Abstract

This research addresses the poetic experience in the poetry collection "Thawrat Al-Bahr" (The Revolution of the Sea) by the poet Abdul Rahim Said Ahmed Saif, focusing on imitation and innovation in his concept of poetry, themes, vision, and imagery. The study concludes that the poet perceives poetry as both thought and emotion, with its primary function being the expression of sentiment and then addressing societal issues. The themes of his poetry are characterized by both innovation and imitation, as he drew upon traditional themes of classical poetry while simultaneously introducing topics that reflect contemporary reality, customs, and challenges. His poetry predominantly embodies a classical vision, yet it is not entirely bound by it, as he also incorporates romantic, realistic, and symbolic perspectives. He employed two musical patterns: the traditional vertical style, following the ancient poets, and the free verse style, aligning with modern innovators. However, he tends to excel in the vertical style, producing more profound and aesthetically pleasing poems, which allowed him to encompass the diverse visions of literary schools, including classicism, romanticism, realism, and symbolism. His poetic imagery evolved remarkably, benefiting from artistic symbolic perspectives, although some of his images remained rooted in traditional forms.