The Imagery of Night in the Poetry of Ibn Bāqī al-Qurṭubī (A Descriptive-Analytical Study)

Abstract

The present study investigates the imagery of night in the poetry of Ibn Bāqī al-Qurṭubī, with particular attention to the fluctuations, transformations, and artistic strategies through which this image is rendered. Employing a descriptive-analytical approach, the research surveys and interprets a selection of the poet’s verses, seeking to uncover the configurations of the night as shaped by the poet’s psychological and emotional states.

The findings reveal that the night in Ibn Bāqī’s poetry appears in multiple and shifting forms, never confined to a single fixed representation. Moreover, the poet demonstrates a refined ability to employ the night—as an encompassing natural element—to articulate his inner emotions, personal experiences, and affective responses.