Qur'an and the Lyric Imperative

This book argues that the tension between Arabic poetry and the Qur’an dating back to the seventh century, when the Qur’an was first recited, is a primary generator of meaning in the Arabic Literary Tradition. Four case studies illustrate how this tension is a creative force. What, for example is the relationship between the Qur’an, poetry and other genres of Arabic Literature? How are the figures of the prophet and the poet linked in the life and work of 10th-century al-Mutanabbi? How do t...