Abstract:
The present research deals with the phenomenon of rhetorical rhythm in Moufdi Zakarya’s poem through his five collections, namely; The Secret Blaze, The Iliad of Algeria, From the inspiration of Atlas, Under the Shades of Olive, and Our Glories Speak. It is made up of a general background, three chapters, nine sections and a conclusion. In the general background of the research, we have dealt with the various linguistic and terminological concepts for rhythm, pointing out to its relationship with the different language disciplines. We have also spoken about the musical and poetic rhythms, pinpointing the link between rhythm and music from the one hand, and rhythm and songs from the other. Further, we have referred to all kinds of rhythm and highlighted its expressive, interpretive, aesthetic, psychological functions, which led us to differentiate between rhythm within arts from the one outside them.
The first chapter dealt with the rhythm of predicative and affective styles; rhythm of foregrounding and backgrounding; rhythm of definiteness and indefiniteness. In the second chapter, there has been a discussion about the rhythm of simile, metaphor and the rhythm of the global image. The third chapter examined the rhythm of rhyme, homophony and the one of rendering the backgrounded verses in the forgrounded ones.
The research has revealed the awareness of the ancient Arabs to the rhetorical rhythm within their interest in the Arabic language in different uses in addition to their keen interest in poetry and its refinement. All that is for the sake of influencing the addressee and getting the pithy expression for the intended meaning. This has been manifest in their talk on eloquence, rhetoric as well as their research works related to issues of miracles within the sacred Quran and Quranic readings.
Additionally, the research has shown that the rhetorical rhythm cannot be studied in isolation from the phonological, syntactic, morphological and semantic issues, not to mention the global view among these aspects without neglecting anyone of them.
Despite the fact that metrical rhythm is characterized by its rigour and clarity, rhetorical rhythm is known for its variety, diversification and richness. This is so because it represents language. Actually, the latter will have no realization unless there exists a rhetoric phenomenon.
In fact, it is highly possible that the present vision to rhythm is behind the renewal of Arabic Rhetoric whenever there are new linguistic structures or expressions. Given such a situation, rhetorical rhythm is made a precursor for any creative work at all times.
