Character Structure in Saalik Poetry

Abstract

The poetry of the Saʿalik in the pre-Islamic era represents both a historical and artistic document that reflects their marginalized social reality. They were often excluded from tribal life due to weak lineage or rebellious behavior marked by aggression and crime. Their poetry thus emerged as a distinctive voice, diverging from traditional poetic discourse and embodying traits of defiance, rejection, and resistance to tribal norms. This research, entitled “The Structure of Character in the Poetry of the Saʿalik,” explores the psychological, social, economic, and moral dimensions of the Saʿalik character, showing how lived reality was transformed into poetic expression with intellectual and cultural significance. The Saʿalik figure appears as rebellious, sacrificial, and rejecting, serving as a key to understanding both individual and collective experiences. Positioned between social breakdown and self-reliance, the Saʿalik adopted vagrancy and theft as a way to restore dignity to the oppressed, shaping a unique literary phenomenon.