The Issue Of Literary (Artistic) Devices In Eastern Literature

Abstract

Artistic devices play an important role in imparting general aesthetic qualities to speech. While artistic devices are studied in Arabic philology within the badīʿ section of the science of balāgha (rhetoric), in Western philology—and through it, in modern Uzbek linguistics—they are examined under various terms such as “stylistic devices” or “a system of expressive and emotive linguistic means.” In literary studies, they are referred to as “artistic devices” or “poetic devices.” Their classification also differs from that of Eastern philology. Specifically, in Arabic rhetoric, badīʿ devices are classified into verbal (lafẓī) and semantic (maʿnavī) groups based on the dominant feature involved in creating artistic effect, whereas Persian scholars additionally introduced a combined verbal–semantic category.

To clarify this issue, it is necessary to refer to the primary sources in which the theory of badīʿ devices was originally developed. This is because badīʿ devices form the foundation of artistic creativity among all peoples, particularly Eastern nations, and the theoretical framework developed within Arabic rhetoric facilitated their rapid dissemination, assimilation, and further development. The authenticity of this process is evident from treatises on rhetoric—especially on artistic devices—written in Persian and Turkic languages. These devices were also widely used in the creative works of Turkic peoples, and it is clear that their classification, definitions, and terminology were adopted and developed through the works of Arab scholars.

In Arabic-language sources, artistic devices are divided into two groups: al-muḥassināt al-lafẓiyya (verbal embellishments) and al-muḥassināt al-maʿnaviyya (semantic embellishments). There has been no significant debate among Arab rhetoricians regarding this classification, and badīʿ devices continue to be studied on this basis to the present day.

This article examines the issue of verbal artistic devices that shape the aesthetics of Arabic, Persian, and Turkic languages, as well as their classification, drawing on works devoted to the science of rhetoric.