The structure of the rhyme scheme in Samarra

Abstract

This study seeks to examine paronomasia (jinās) in the poetry of Ibrāhīm al-
Sāmarrā’ī as an active rhythmic structure in the production of meaning, rather than a
merely ornamental rhetorical phenomenon sufficient unto itself. It proceeds from a
central problematic: paronomasia in al-Sāmarrā’ī’s poetic experience transcends its
conventional function of verbal embellishment, becoming instead a foundational
rhythmic element in the construction of the poetic text—one that regulates its internal
cadence and directs the course of its reception. The study posits that paronomasia in al-
Sāmarrā’ī’s poetry possesses a distinctive rhythmic structure, constituted through the
convergence of phonetic symmetry and semantic tension, and productive of a
multidimensional rhythmic signification. Methodologically, the study adopts an
integrative approach that draws upon the analytical tools of Arabic rhetoric in
examining paronomasia, while engaging the insights of modern rhythmic stylistics in
tracing its structural operations. The corpus of Ibrāhīm al-Sāmarrā’ī’s poetry was
selected for its rich convergence of profound philological erudition and refined
rhythmic sensibility—a convergence that renders paronomasia in his work a conscious,
deliberate practice rather than a spontaneous one. In his poetry, paronomasia constitutes
a central rhythmic structure that collaborates with other phonetic and semantic elements
to shape a distinctive poetics, one that moves beyond inherited rhetorical convention
toward a renewed creative horizon.