The Poeticism of Stylistic Variation in “The Damascene Poem” by Nizar Qabbani

Abstract

Given that poetry is an artistic expression based on language, and that poetic discourse is dominated by the aesthetic function, it is natural for language to serve as the main gateway through which we can access the affective and denotative realms of the poem. This involves linking the linguistic elements of the poem’s composition to its aesthetic functions. In this context, the present article builds upon earlier studies that consider linguistic research methodology the most suitable approach for analyzing poetic texts. This methodology connects elements emanating from various levels of the poem’s linguistic structure - phonetic, lexical, morphological, syntactic, and textual - to their impact in fulfilling the aesthetic function as perceived by the audience. This scientific contribution thus attempts to examine these elements in one of Nizar Qabbani’s celebrated poems, emphasizing their role in creating the poetic effect. This study adopts principles such as steering clear of redundancy, as the analysis of a poem would unveil the essence of its counterpart, recognizing the limitations of analytical tools in uncovering all poetic dimensions, acknowledging the artistic neutrality exhibited by some elements of the poetic text, and accepting that some aesthetic features may resist available procedural analysis.