The Indicators of Russian Formalist Approach in Al-Iyar al-Shi'r by Ibn Tabataba

Ibn Tabataba was a prominent Arabic literary critic of the fourth century AH. In his work Iyar al-Shi'r (The Touchstone of Poetry), he developed a distinctive approach to Arabic literary criticism that set him apart from his contemporaries and predecessors. He treated poetry as an artistic craft, placing poetic structure and composition at the centre of his analysis. Through his writings, one can discern subtle distinctions he drew between different literary forms such as verse and prose. His focus on the technical aspects of poetry represents a significant methodological approach to literary criticism.