Throwing Down the Verbal Gauntlet, The Arabic Invective of Jarīr and al-Farazdaq

Series: 

Author:
Cory Jorgensen
Throwing Down the Verbal Gauntlet showcases Arab “rapper” poets Jarīr and al-Farazdaq. This eighth-century duo is best known for a series of verbal battles (flytings) they carried out over several decades. Verbal Gauntlet argues that these poets performed in order to elevate their own prestige, just as rappers do in modern-day “Dozens” battles. These were performances for performance’s sake, a first for a genre traditionally associated with settling tribal disputes. The book provides a new interpretation of this poetry and changes the way we see the intertwining roles of poet, opponent, and audience.
Copyright Year:
2025
E-Book (PDF)
Availability:
Published
ISBN:
978-90-04-71626-1
Publication:
03 Mar 2025
EUR  €118.80EUR  €99.00 excl. VAT
Hardback
Availability:
Published
ISBN:
978-90-04-71625-4
Publication:
14 Mar 2025
Cover Throwing Down the Verbal Gauntlet, The Arabic Invective of Jarīr and al-Farazdaq

Prices from (excl. shipping):

€30.00€25.00 excl. VAT
Add to Cart
About MyBook
Cory Jorgensen, Ph.D. (2012), University of Texas at Austin, is Assistant Professor of Arabic at George Washington University. He has published on classical Arabic literature and Arabic pedagogy, including, “Jarīr and al-Farazdaq’s Naqāʾiḍ Performance,” Journal of Arabic Literature 54 (2023).
Preface
Acknowledgments

Introduction
 1 Naqāʾiḍ and “The Naqāʾiḍ”
 2 Performance

1 The Performance: Jarīr, al-Farazdaq, and the Naqāʾiḍ
 1 Performance Aspects of the Naqāʾiḍ
 2 Naqāʾiḍ Passages

2 The Stage: Mirbad Market
 1 Introduction
 2 Style and Content of the Naqāʾiḍ
 3 “Emergence” of Social Structure
 4 Conclusion

3 The Process: Jarīr and al-Farazdaq’s “Collusion”
 1 Introduction
 2 Stock Devices
 3 Conclusion

4 The Goal: Winning Over the Audience
 1 Introduction
 2 Managing Poetic Image
 3 Gaining Poetic Prestige
 4 Conclusion

Appendix1: Jarīr and al-Farazdaq’s Naqāʾiḍ Corpus
Appendix2: Jarīr and al-Farazdaq’s Qaṣīda Structure
Appendix3: Quoted Passages
Appendix4: Naqāʾiḍ Poems
Bibliography
Index
  • Collapse
  • Expand

Manufacturer information:
Koninklijke Brill B.V. 
Plantijnstraat 2
2321 JC
Leiden / The Netherlands
productsafety@degruyterbrill.com