The Caricature Image in the Poetry of Ibn al-Rumi – A Study in the Mechanisms of Formation and the Significations of the Imaginary

Abstract

This research examines the phenomenon of the "caricature image" in the satirical poetry of Ibn Al-Rumi (d. 283 AH / 896 AD), considering him a pioneer of this art form in Arabic poetry before the emergence of the modern term. The study aims to identify the artistic mechanisms employed by the poet in constructing his satirical images and to reveal the psychological and social implications underlying these images. The research adopts an integrative approach (descriptive-analytical) utilizing the tools of cultural criticism. The findings indicate that Ibn Al-Rumi successfully employed multiple mechanisms such as exaggeration, distortion, antithetical dualities, and sensory-kinetic personification to transform his adversaries into caricature figures, relying on capturing minute details and amplifying them within a humorous, satirical framework. The study also reveals a close relationship between physical ugliness and moral ugliness in the poet's vision, and the connection of these images to his pessimistic psychological context and the turbulent social reality of the Abbasid era.