International records / OpenAlex research

Intertextuality and West African Arabic Poetry: Reading Nigerian Arabic Poetry of the 19th and 20th Centuries

Abstract Nigerian Arabic poetry of the 19th and 20th centuries deliberately intertexts with and alludes to classical Arabic poetry, the foundational texts of Islam, the religious poetry of the first century of Islam and with Arabian poetry in general. Arabic poets of West Africa sometimes use lines, ideas and themes that enlarge their poetry in order to bring into the consciousness of the reader/listener what he or she already knows or holds in high esteem religiously and artistically. West African Arabic poetry therefore apart from its literary aesthetics, establishes a sense of belonging to …