Methods Used by Pre-Islamic Poets in Employing Metonymy to Describe the Power of a Sword Strike

Abstract

This study aims to explore the methods used by pre-Islamic poets in employing metonymy to describe the power of a sword strike. The scholarly significance of this topic lies in uncovering the rhetorical features and poetic formations used to depict a sword strike among pre-Islamic poets, exploring various expressions for a single meaning, identifying the sources from which these metonymies were derived, and the contexts in which they appeared. The research methodology adopted in this study is the inductive-analytical method, which involves collecting specific instances, classifying them, deriving overarching general principles governing these instances, and then analyzing them to elucidate the components that contributed to their creativity, interpret their contents and implications, and examine their artistic and aesthetic qualities as well as the underlying meanings. The research plan consists of an introduction, followed by a preamble divided into two sections: the relationship between Arabs and their swords, and the importance of metonymy in rhetorical studies. These are followed by two main chapters: the first discusses the metonymy related to the power of a sword strike through its physical or moral impact on humans, while the second chapter examines the metonymy related to the power of a sword strike through other methods. The plan concludes with a conclusion that includes the main findings. Among the key findings of the Study: The metonymic imagery for the power of a sword strike in pre-Islamic poetry was conveyed through multiple methods. Poets' criteria for judging the power of a strike were inspired by the effects of these strikes on various elements from their surrounding environment. These methods were found to fall into two categories: the first focused on measuring the power of a strike through its impact on the human body, while the second described the power of the strike without involving the human body