Argumentative Discourse in the Poem (O Son of the Successor)

by Abd al-Husayn Hamad (d. 2016)

Abstract

The poetry of Abd al-Husayn Hamad is distinguished by its effective employment of religious symbols as semantic and argumentative devices that contribute to constructing a persuasive poetic discourse combining aesthetic value with rhetorical force. His language is characterized by eloquence, clarity, and stylistic restraint, avoiding obscurity and affectation. This enables him to appeal simultaneously to the reader's intellect and emotions through an argumentative discourse grounded in the presentation of evidence and the construction of persuasive justifications. These features are particularly evident in his poems expressing his love for and devotion to Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), where he transforms emotional experience into an argumentative discourse endowed with considerable persuasive power.

Against this background, the present study investigates the argumentative and persuasive mechanisms employed by the poet in his poem Ya Ibn al-Waṣī ("O Son of the Successor"). It analyzes the strategies of persuasion and the principles of communication, with particular emphasis on the maxims of quantity, quality, and truthfulness, while also examining the effectiveness of the speech acts deployed in accordance with the ideas and convictions the poet seeks to defend. Furthermore, the study explores the interaction between the linguistic structure and the argumentative purposes in producing a compelling poetic discourse.