Thematic and Artistic Structure in Ibn al-Markhi's Andalusian letters

Abstract

The study dealt with the letters of Ibn al-Markhi al-Andalusi (T536 Ah/1141 AD) _ one of the writers of Andalusia at the time of the Almoravids_ and studied its thematic and artistic structure. This was done by monitoring its most prominent themes, and classifying them into Brotherhood, Diwaniyah, Social, Description of nature, Zarzouriyat (after the Starling bird, “Zarzour” in Arabic), and what falls under Each class of dimensions and topics. Then, the study analyzed the artistic structure of the letters by highlighting the most important artistic mechanisms that the writer manipulated to represent his ideas, and give them beauty and poetry such as the introductory structure, the artistic image, quotation and inclusion, and the art of the exquisite. The study adopted the descriptive method, integrated with the aesthetic/formalistic approach, since both have a complementary role in uncovering the topics of the letters, discussing them, and monitoring the technical means and mechanisms that helped to represent them, besides demonstrating their artistic impact.