Envy in Abbasid Literature: A Comparative Study of Mainstream and Marginal Poets
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Abstract
In the Abbasid era, "mainstream" poets and "marginal" poets addressed the phenomenon of envy from two different perspectives. While mainstream poets took pride in being envied—regarding the envy of others as a sign of good fortune or a mark of honor—marginal poets whispered about it mockingly toward anyone of high status. At the same time, among mainstream poets, boasting about envy evolved into a cultural pattern marked by a condescending tone, seeking to undermine and dominate others. As for the marginal poets, they adopted the same pattern but in reverse: they themselves became spiteful enviers. Before long, they began to feel a sense of inferiority, channeling their hostility toward those they believed to be the cause of their misery and deprivation.
Hence, we have two types of poets: the "master" poet and the "subjugated" poet, each with his own framework for dealing with the same phenomenon. Just as we find al-Mutanabbi relishing the envy directed at him, we find al-Ahnaf al-‘Akbari suffering from a deep, spiritual wound. It appears that envy carries both pleasure and pain.
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