Abstract:
This dissertation explores the features of critical reception in Abbasid poetry through a comparative analysis of Abu Nuwas and Abu Al-Atahiyah, within a dual framework combining religious standards and aesthetic criteria. The study begins by affirming the early presence of the concept of reception in Arabic criticism, despite the absence of independent theorization, emphasizing the distinction between passive reception (submission to the text) and active reception (participation in the production of meaning.)It highlights the impact of Arabic rhetoric on shaping reception, where concepts like clarity and appropriateness cemented the role of the submissive reader, while early critics such as Al-Jurjani and Ibn Rashiq hinted at interpretive plurality. The study compares this heritage with the foundations of Reception Aesthetics (Jauss, Iser), which center the reader as a co-creator of the literary experience.
The dissertation analyzes the reception of Abu Nuwas’s poetry within a civilizational and social transformation, where wine becomes a symbol of rebellion and femininity appears as a conflicted metaphor. His poetry reflects inner tensions between pleasure and remorse, especially in the poem “Daʿ ʿanka Lawmi”. In contrast, Abu Al-Atahiyah’s poetic journey moves from frivolity to asceticism, revealing a deep philosophical vision of mortality and a social critique rooted in a call for reform.
The study concludes that critical responses to Abu Al-Atahiyah ranged from praise to disdain, yet his poetry resonated emotionally and intellectually with the general public. Ultimately, the dissertation affirms a convergence between classical Arabic criticism and modern reception theory, arguing that differing historical contexts do not negate the presence of shared theoretical seeds.
