The Mufaddaliyat, one of the first poetry anthology examples of classical Arabic literature

This study aims to analyze the rich content and thematic structure of The Mufaddaliyyat, one of the leading poetry anthologies of classical Arabic literature, with a descriptive methodology. The work, which is considered the second largest poetry compilation in Arabic literature after Muallakât, is an anthology of high literary value and containing the distinguished Arabic poems of its period. The research consists of four parts: In the first part, the etymology, definition, history and types of anthology in classical Arabic literature are discussed within the framework of the poetry anthologies of the period. In the second chapter, detailed information is given about The Mufaddaliyyat and Mufaddal al-Dabbî, to whom its name is related, in the context of the work-author relationship. In the third chapter, information about the tribes and periods of the poets is presented with reference to their divans, in order to reveal the historical and geographical diversity of the odes in the anthology. In the fourth and most comprehensive section, the first ode of each poet in the anthology was included in the sample of the study and a total of 66 odes were titled according to their numbers in the work and classified according to their main themes and evaluated with a thematic analysis within the integrity of the subject. As a result of the research, inferences about the place and importance of the poetry anthology tradition in classical Arabic literature and the thematic content of The Mufaddaliyyat were included. Considering the number and diversity of the odes in the anthology, these findings can be considered to be valid for the general characteristics of the poetry of the Age of Ignorance.