Hyperbole in the Panegyric Poetry by Salahi Ushshaqi in Arabic

Abstract

The figure of hyperbole is clearly prominent in Arabic poetry, particularly in view of the immense body of panegyric poetry, both secular and sacral. Panegyric poetry is ripe with hyperbole to such an extent that this figure of speech may be considered a general feature of the genre. Since it is particularly present in odes to Prophet Muhammed written in Arabic, it is justified to focus on semio-stylistic analyses of this figure. This paper tries to present hyperbole in a panegyric dedicated to the Prophet, and establish some of its key poetic features. The paper focuses on the relation between hyperbole and truth in this genre, and examines the relationship between cognition and the hyperbolic expression of the poet.