Isomorphism in Literary Criticism: Reading in Two Poetical Verses of Imro' Al-Qais and Al-Mutanabi

د. رامي جميل سالم

Abstract

This study investigates the concept of artistic isomorphism in literary criticism field that is based on proportional structure and contextualized words. Historically, isomorphism between two lines of the verse were argumentatively discussed by both classical and contemporary critics similar to argument related to two verses of Imro' Al-Qais and Al-Mutanabi. This concept was discussed from two aspects: the theoretical study resided on the artistic concept of isomorphism by analyzing comments by the critics and rhetoricians on the narrative collected to the Fiqh, isomorphic parts, consistent structure and others. The empirical part analyzed two poetical verses attributed to two renowned poets Imro' al-Qais and Al-Mutanabi to demonstrate the significance of isomorphism in the poetical structure as a critical tool for greater in-depth understanding of the text. The study concluded with a number of results, most importantly: First: Critics neither provided clear definition of artistic isomorphism, nor they dealt with it from a criticism approach. Instead, they viewed it as a poetical component and an essential artistic phenomenon of the poetical text structure; contrary to the rhetorical isomorphism that was clearly defined and elaborately discussed with evidence from the poetry. 

Second: Artistic isomorphism was not viewed by critics and rhetoricians as only represented by symmetry and consistency; rather they semantically considered synonyms and antonyms as another form of artistic isomorphism.

Third: The order in which Imro' Al-Qais and Al-Mutanabi put their respective two poetical verses was true and consistent with artistic isomorphism doctrine, contrary to the view adopted by other critics and rhetoricians that the two poets were incorrect.             

Fourth: Conceptually, the artistic isomorphism juxtaposes two components of the Arabian vertical poetry and complies with such concepts like textual coherence, cohesion, consistency and other concepts.