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شوقي ضيف
Shawqi Dayf was an Egyptian scholar and critic who served as the head of the Academy of the Arabic Language in Cairo. He wrote a major series on the history of Arabic literature and
الفن ومذاهبه في النثر العربي
Synopsis
الفن ومذاهبه في النثر العربي (Art and Its Schools in Arabic Prose) is Shawqi Dayf's history and critical study of the artistic development of Arabic prose. Dayf traces prose from the pre-Islamic and early Islamic eras through Umayyad oratory and chancery writing, into the diverse scientific, philosophical, historical and literary prose of the Abbasid period, and on to the distinct prose schools that developed in Muslim Spain (al-Andalus) and Egypt. He organizes the material around three broad artistic schools -- the school of craftsmanship (sina'a), the school of artificiality (tasannu'), and the regional Andalusian and Egyptian schools -- examining the historical, cultural and social forces behind each writer and movement. Published by Dar al-Ma'arif in Cairo, it is the prose companion to Dayf's al-Fann wa-Madhahibuhu fi al-Shi'r al-'Arabi on Arabic poetry, and remains a standard reference for students of classical Arabic literature.
Genres
Frequently asked questions
How does this book relate to the author's work on Arabic poetry?
The author applies the same analytical framework used in his companion volume, The Art and Doctrines of Arabic Poetry, to categorize the evolution of prose into three distinct stages: simple craftsmanship, technical development, and ornate artifice [1.1.5].
What methodology does the author use to analyze early Arabic prose?
Because early prose texts are often difficult to verify, the author cross-references them with contemporary poetry from the pre-Islamic era to reconstruct the authentic stylistic characteristics of the period.