The Unsettling Dualities in the Poetry of Antara bin Shaddad: Between Tension and Correlation

Abstract

This research elucidates—through the poetry of Antara ibn Shaddad—the story of the internal conflict raging within him, the pervasive strife in his life, and the contradictions and inner division he felt and experienced both internally and externally. It is not far-fetched to claim that Antara's life and the fragmented shards of his psyche comprised a collection of conflicting and contradictory elements, locked in a state of both crisis and inseparability, to a degree rare or non-existent in others. Yet, despite this, his character was creative and brilliant, and he secured for himself an almost mythical status; because he managed to maintain a balance despite these contradictions, and because he coexisted with them masterfully—whether willingly, unwillingly, or by compulsion. This is what the unsettling dualities in his poetry have suggested to us.

The most important findings of the research are:

1. Antara's poetry suggests to the reader a profound internal sentiment within the poet, hinting at his weakness or a dominating inferiority complex, yet he did not surrender to it, at least outwardly.
2. Antara attempted to amplify his courage and the positive attributes he was given, to mask his internal psychological weaknesses or external social vulnerabilities.
3. The positive rebellion in Antara's character, along with his ability to modulate the contradictions in his life and adapt to them, is what forged his legend as a peerless hero.

The researcher employed both historical and descriptive-analytical methodologies, while also critically drawing on psychological criticism.