The virility system in Abbasid women's poetry

Abstract

    The Abbasid period stands out as one of the most flourishing periods in the history of Arabic literature,distinguished by the emergence of a large number of poets—both men and women—who were profoundly influenced by the intellectual and cultural atmosphere of the time. This influence was a result of the Abbasid society’s openness to the cultures of other nations and peoples, leading to a rich exchange of ideas and values, supported further by economic prosperity. These factors contributed significantly to the refinement and development of poetic    talent across genders .                                                                                        

   The diversity of  oetic themes in classical Arabic poetry was historically accompanied by a set of critical terms that were used to evaluate a poet’s artistic skill and rhetorical mastery. Among the most prominent of these terms is (poetic virility), which evolved into a critical standard for determining a poet’s rank and literary stature.Women, too, played an active role in the cultural life of the Abbasid period and produced remarkable poetry, with some female poets achieving notable recognition and acclaim .

   This study aims to explore the epistemological trajectory of the concept of (poetic virility)  on one hand and to examine its position within cultural criticism on the other. Accordingly, the research is structured around two main axes:  investigates the praising and satirical poetic selves, highlighting the patterns of (poetic virility) as manifested in women’s poetry. As for the second axis, it examines the virile tradition and the ways in which female poets challenged conventional poetic norms, particularly in the genres of flirtation and win.