Strategies of Employing Animals and Their Symbolic Meaning in Satirical Poetry among the Poets of the Islamic Mission in the Early Islamic Period

Abstract

This study investigates the use of animals in satirical poetry among the poets of the Islamic mission in the early Islamic period. Animals were employed with symbolic meanings to reflect the poet’s perception of opponents and to reveal the psychological and social dimensions of the poetic discourse, demonstrating the poet’s skill in crafting vivid and expressive imagery.

Adopting a descriptive-analytical approach, the research examines the presence and function of animals in satire, analyzing their symbolic significance, rhetorical strategies, and artistic value.

The findings show that poets effectively used animal symbolism to strip opponents of merit, publicly humiliate them, and expose their flaws. This was achieved through diverse rhetorical devices, including mockery, sarcasm, threat, denigration, simile, metaphor, and symbolic embodiment.