Mirage in Pre-Islamic Poetry: A Study in the formation of the phenomenon and poetic interpretation

السراب في الشعر الجاهلي : دراسة في تشكيل الظاهره وتأويلها شعريا

Abstract

Critics have paid little attention to the phenomenon of mirage in Jahiliah poetry. The study analyzes the thematic significance of this phenomenon in myriad verses taken from Jahiliah poems. The idea of mirage is particularly articulated through water images and thus becomes a life-giving element that provides the she-camel with impetus to go on in the deadly deserts and rescue the poet from imminent death. As such, mirage is converted in Jahiliah poetry from a natural phenomenon into a poetic symbol that affects the context and reflects the poet's emotional and mental state in the face of death.