LessonsThe Ḥulwān Maqāmah: A Literary Assembly and a Contest of VerseQuiz

First chosen verseStranger’s verseOrdered pearls, hail, white blossomsFresh pearls, hail, blossoms, palm bloom, bubblesA compact sequence of imagesA more extended accumulationExplicit simile with “as though”A vivid “reveals in smiling” construction

The stranger favours the second poem. The comparison shows that the number of images is one feature of style, not a sufficient measure of overall poetic excellence.

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Comparing restraint and abundance in imagery

The Ḥulwān Maqāmah: A Literary Assembly and a Contest of Verse

First chosen verseStranger’s verseOrdered pearls, hail, white blossomsFresh pearls, hail, blossoms, palm bloom, bubblesA compact sequence of imagesA more extended accumulationExplicit simile with “as though”A vivid “reveals in smiling” construction

The stranger favours the second poem. The comparison shows that the number of images is one feature of style, not a sufficient measure of overall poetic excellence.