The Rhetorical Structure of Abi Tamam’s poem ‘Fi Fath Amourya’

Abstract

This paper sheds light on the rhetorical structure of Abi Tamam’s poem ‘Fi Fath Amourya’. It examines the deep rhetorical structure of the poem, and the type of shifts attested, in an attempt at identifying the main aspects of opposition prevalent in ‘Fi Fath Amourya’. The impact of this opposition imparts on the linguistic structure of the poem is also considered. The language used by Abi Tamam, and the rhetorical opposition expressed using a number of rhetorical devices, namely verbs of transformation, the superlative, the circumstantial structure, the negative and the conditionals, are studied. The paper also examines how the poet employs metaphor, assonance, antitheses and alliteration to convey the intended message of the poem; the characters are also given due attention in the analysis. The paper concludes by discussing the poetic images, and the role they play in developing the aspects of opposition noted in the aforementioned poem.