Oral-Formulaic Theory: Annotated Bibliography

H.A.R Gibb. Arabic Literature: An Introduction. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 2nd ed. 1963.

A history of the development of Arabic literature from the beginnings to the twentieth century. Pays particular attention in Chapters 3 and 4 to the early meter (rajaz) and the somewhat later ode tradition (qa|das). Notes that a poetic profession developed during the period 500-750 A.D. and describes the training and function of its members, their audience, and the conventional structure and content of their work.
Area: AR