The Phenomenon of Repetition in Aḥdathu l-Layl by Moḥammed al-Muqrin

Abstract

This paper investigates how Moḥammed al-Muqrin harnesses repetition in his collection Aḥdathu l-Layl, using a stylistic lens to reveal its formal patterns and interpretive force. After an introduction and a brief preface outlining the poet’s background and clarifying the term “repetition,” the study unfolds across three sections devoted respectively to sound-level, word-level, and sentence-level recurrence. The analysis shows that al-Muqrin does not repeat randomly; rather, he deploys recurring sounds and phrases to deepen suggestion, intensify emotion, and bind his verses into a unified sonic texture. Vertical reiteration (within a single line) and horizontal reiteration (across lines or poems) work together to anchor key images and amplify the collection’s underlying themes. Ultimately, repetition functions as both a rhythmic engine and a semantic spotlight, guiding the reader toward the poet’s interior experience while preserving structural cohesion. The findings underscore the poet’s deliberate craft and confirm repetition’s capacity to enrich Arabic poetic discourse.