First published 2021
Jokha Alharthi examines Arabic love poetry from the 8th through 11th centuries, focusing on how physical desire appears in verses long considered purely chaste. She targets 'Udhri poetry, which scholars have traditionally compared to unconsummated courtly love in medieval Europe. Rather than accepting standard interpretations that emphasize spiritual purity, Alharthi compares the actual poems with later commentary about them. She traces how pre-Islamic traditions shaped the portrayal of beloved figures in 'Udhri ghazal verse. The analysis reveals multiple historical influences layered within this poetic tradition. Alharthi also breaks from previous scholarship by studying how these poems depict both the beloved's physical form and the poet's own embodied experience. Her work offers readers a fresh understanding of how Arab society, romantic expression, and bodily experience intersected during this formative period of Arabic literature.
Genres: african-literature, academic, cultural-studies
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: academic-study, historical-analysis, literary-interpretation
Setting: Arabia
Period: 8th-11th Centuries
288 pages · Hardcover · Edinburgh University Press