Exaggeration in the poetry of Marwan ibn Abi Hafsa

This study examines literary hyperbole in the poetry of Marwān ibn Abī Ḥafṣa as a central stylistic device shaping his poetic discourse, particularly in panegyric and elegy. The analysis proceeds from a clear distinction between hyperbole as an aesthetic and rhetorical strategy that serves expressive and persuasive purposes, and excessive exaggeration that leads to artificiality or weak artistic credibility. The research adopts a qualitative textual analytical approach, drawing on selected poetic samples in order to identify the mechanisms of hyperbole, its figurative patterns, and its semantic functions in the construction of meaning and the intensification of effect. The findings indicate that in panegyric poetry, Marwān employs hyperbole to construct an idealized image of the patron, emphasizing generosity, heroism, and moral elevation through forceful diction, vivid imagery, and extended metaphors that confer a pronounced ceremonial tone. In elegiac contexts, hyperbole appears more restrained and emotionally controlled, functioning to deepen the experience of loss and to elevate the status of the deceased through heightened affective expression. By contrast, the presence of hyperbole in satire proves to be extremely limited within his poetic corpus, with only a few scattered verses, which reflects the poet’s general inclination toward affirmative image-building rather than destructive ridicule. The study concludes that hyperbole in Marwān ibn Abī Ḥafṣa’s poetry constitutes a conscious aesthetic choice that contributes significantly to the distinctiveness of his poetic voice within the Abbasid tradition.