Pens, Swords, and the Springs of Art

Offering a detailed analysis of oral poetry dueling performed at traditional Palestinian weddings, this work is unique in addressing poetry dueling as a performative and compositional device, and exploring the complex linkages between this tradition and other genres of Arabic poetry. It includes a study of poetry dueling in standard Arabic; a description of the historical and performance contexts of the Palestinian duels, as well as of poets and their training; an analysis of a single performance; and a re-interpretation of the nature verbal dueling generally. Including a transcription and translation of an entire performance, the book considers the social efficacy of poetry dueling, its aesthetic nature, and its value as a compositional device within a larger system of poetic production.