Sound and Its Role in Serving Meaning: The Poetry of Ibrāhīm Al-Khatīb as a Model

Abstract

This research aims to highlight the importance of sound and its role in serving meaning, with a practical application to the poetry of the Jordanian poet Ibrāhīm Al-Khatīb. The value of this research lies in its examination of poetry that has not previously received much attention from a phonological perspective, by shedding light on a phonetic aspect that appears in the poetry of Ibrāhīm Al-Khatīb. Sound in Arabic poetry plays a significant role in conveying implicit meanings that the poet seeks to express by utilizing the power of sound. This sonic power arises from the qualities and characteristics of the sound itself, as well as its placement within the poetic line—whether through repetition or by employing the sound as a rhyme at the end of the verse. This research is based on the descriptive method, through an analytical reading of the poetry of Ibrāhīm Al-Khatīb, and identifying instances of phonetic repetition—whether at the level of sound repetition within the poetic line or through its use as a rhyme. The research concluded that the poet Ibrāhīm Al-Khatīb is fully aware of the semantic significance conveyed by Arabic sounds. He seeks to make use of these phonetic potentials, which are an inherent feature of the Arabic language and its letters, to express hidden meanings. The poet succeeds in crafting phonetic expressions with semantic implications through the use of various techniques.