The Mechanisms of Dialogical Argumentation in the Poetry of Sulaiman Al-Nabhani

Amid the diversity of modern critical approaches to analyzing literary discourse, discursive argumentation emerges as a fundamental perspective focusing on the study of language within its communicative context, as an effective tool for influencing the recipient and shaping their opinion. Discursive argumentation is considered a dynamic concept based on employing language to serve the construction of meaning and guide the recipient within an interactive communicative framework. It is an extension of pragmatic studies that link language to its practical uses. Within this framework, the poet Suleiman Al-Nabhani was selected due to the richness of argumentation and the diversity of persuasive techniques in his poetry, making it fertile ground for exploring discursive argumentative mechanisms. Al-Nabhani, as a traditional poet influenced by his Omani and Arab environment, employed his poetic discourse to serve multiple purposes, both personal and collective, relying on diverse argumentative strategies that blend logic, emotion, and rhetoric. The research aims to monitor the argumentative indicators in Al-Nabhani’s texts and analyze the role of the historical context in shaping persuasion strategies, as well as revealing the interaction between the poetic structure and the argumentative function. Consequently, the research adopts the pragmatic method of analysis, utilizing tools from pragmatics and modern argumentation theories. The role of this methodology lies in studying the communicative context and its social and cultural dimensions to reveal how argumentative discourse is formed and influences the recipient.  
 
The significance of the study lies in shedding light on an important aspect of Al-Nabhani's poetry, while also contributing to a deeper understanding of discursive argumentation in Arabic poetry in general, and Omani poetry in particular. This study seeks to answer the following three research questions:

What are the most prominent argumentative strategies employed by Al-Nabhani in his poetic discourse?
How are shared references (Islamic values, tribal customs, Omani history) used in building arguments by Al-Nabhani?
To what extent is dialogical argumentation in Al-Nabhani's poetry effective in influencing the recipient and achieving successful communication?

 
The study adopted an analytical pragmatic approach that examines language in its actual communicative context, utilizing tools from pragmatics and modern argumentation theories such as the works of Ducrot and van Eemeren. Diverse poetic models from the diwan of the poet Suleiman Al-Nabhani were analyzed to track argumentative indicators and the role of the historical and cultural context in shaping persuasion strategies, and to reveal the interaction between poetic structure and argumentative function.
 
The theoretical framework was based on the concepts of pragmatics and pragmatic argumentation, which is defined as a discursive genre aimed at persuasion and influencing the recipient’s behavior. The analytical mechanisms were confined to four main axes: argumentative connectives such as logical connectors, argumentative operators such as restrictives and emphatics, the argumentative scale as a mechanism for gradation in presenting arguments, and speech acts as influential performative tools.
 
The applied analysis included two stages: horizontal analysis, which tracks each mechanism across the texts, and vertical analysis, which studies the integration of these mechanisms within a single text. The analysis involved examining argumentative connectives like "even" and "because" and studying their function in building argumentative gradation. It also involved analyzing argumentative operators and constructing argumentative scales through the logical sequence from premises to conclusions. The analysis concluded by studying constructive styles and their semantic transformations from literal meaning to persuasive function.
 
The study revealed that Al-Nabhani's poetry is distinguished by a notable argumentative richness through the diverse employment of persuasion mechanisms. He utilized argumentative connectives to highlight the logical progression between arguments and used argumentative operators for emphasis and restriction. The results showed the poet’s skill in building argumentative scales that begin with provocation or questioning and gradually progress towards presenting arguments leading to decisive conclusions. He also successfully employed constructive styles as effective tools for refuting opposing views and entrenching positions. The results confirmed the effectiveness of using shared cultural references in enhancing the power of the argument and persuading the recipient.
 
The study confirmed that Al-Nabhani's poetry represented an effective communicative system that achieved multiple performative purposes. It successfully transformed poetry from an aesthetic tool into an effective means of persuasion, reflecting a deep awareness of the nature of the addresses and their ways of thinking. These argumentative mechanisms contributed to enriching the poetic meaning and achieving the desired social and cultural impact. The importance of the study lies in its highlighting of a significant aspect of Al-Nabhani’s poetry that was absent in previous studies. It also contributes to deepening the understanding of pragmatic argumentation in Arabic poetry in general, and Omani poetry in particular. These findings open avenues for future studies on pragmatic argumentation in other Arabic poetic and rhetorical discourses.