Ontological and Psychological Conceptions of Death in Classical Arabic Poetry: A Thematic Analysis

Abstract

Abstract: This study examines the multidimensional semantic realm of the theme of death in classical Arabic poetry, alongside the existential position of the human being in the face of death. In the verses analyzed, death is sometimes affirmed as a deliverance from worldly suffering, a sanctuary, and a gateway to mercy, while at other times it is addressed as an absolute inevitability, an equalizing force of destiny, and the futility of human endeavor. Particularly in the works of poets such as Ali b. Abī Ṭālib, al-Maʿarrī, Sharīf al-Murtaḍā, al-Mutanabbī, and Abū Nuwās, life is depicted as a process fraught with exhaustion and pain, whereas death signifies liberation from this burden. Conversely, in other verses, death is presented as an ontological reality that renders all human power and precautions invalid. This study reveals that death is not merely a biological end but also a metaphysical phenomenon associated with moral accounting, the consciousness of destiny, and the conception of the afterlife. The common emphasis in these poems is the rational and physical helplessness of the human being in the face of death, as well as their existential fragility. Thus, within the classical Arabic poetic tradition, death acquires a dual significance: it is both a consolatory sanctuary and an unavoidable truth that exposes the limitations of humanity..