Literary Reception in Classical Arabic Rhetoric: The Case of Al-Āmedī’s Al-Muwāzanah

This thesis explores the nature of literary reception in Classical Arabic rhetoric, in particular the concept of horizon of expectations, by undertaking a detailed analysis of a key critical work from the fourth century AH, al-Āmedī’s Al-Muwāzanah. It begins by tracing those ideas that contributed to the development of reception theory and then examines in depth two concepts which are of central importance in this research, namely, the horizon of expectations (Hans Robert Jauss) and the role of the reader (Wolfgang Iser). In addition to outlining the Western understanding of the elements of this theory, consideration is given to its counterpart in Arabic rhetoric and the obstacles which prevented it from developing along similar lines. The main sociocultural influences that contributed to the formation of the Arab worldview during the Abbasid era are discussed together with the main philosophical debates which served to shape the reading strategies and horizon of expectations of Classical literary scholars.
Close textual reading of al-Āmedī’s Al-Muwāzanah is used to analyse the methodological principles which underpin his explicit critical framework and to reveal the implicit criteria, including ʿamūd al-shiʿr, which he uses to evaluate the poetry of Abū Tammām and al-Buḥturī. It is argued that identification of these aspects of the text can be used to provide an insight into al-Āmedī’s horizon of expectations and, more broadly, to reflect the strategies which were used to read, interpret and evaluate literary texts during the Classical period.