Role of Literature in Arabic Society: Abu Al-Qasim Al-Shabbi as a Model for Romantics

Abstract

Literature is an integral part of cultural heritage that plays a vital role in reflecting the reality of any society on the intellectual, social, political levels with its all virtues and vices. Literature is a medium of communication of bringing the past and present for the future to understand the faults that have occurred and to redress it accordingly. Literature helps in developing the society and changing its political systems as well. Poetry as a social representative, its major purpose is to work for the humanity at large, to spread the awareness and morality to purge the society from corruption. In Arab literature, poetry was called Diwan Al-Arab (Register of the Arabs) because it preserved their culture and political heritage. Poetry was the pride literary genre of the Arabs and the source of their knowledge. This paper aims to present an overview of role the literature in Arabic society.