Employing Literary Heritage in Elegiac and Complaint Poetry of Abu Firas al-Hamdani

Abstract

This study examines the employment of heritage in the elegy and complaint poetry of Abu Firas Al-Hamdani. It aims to reveal how the poet recalled historical, religious, and literary symbols to enrich his emotional experience during his captivity. The findings show that heritage was not merely a rhetorical ornament, but a profound expressive tool through which the poet blended his personal voice with the voice of history. This employment helped alleviate the bitterness of imprisonment, expressing complaint and elegy in a style that balances the captive's heartbreak with the knight's pride.