Manifestations of the Personification of Night in Abdullah al-Barduni’s Poetry: An Analytical Approach

Abstract
Anthropomorphism is a prominent stylistic device in literature that extends beyond conventional rhetorical personification by attributing human qualities, emotions, and behaviors to inanimate objects, animals, and natural phenomena, thereby transforming them into active entities within the literary text. Its function is not merely aesthetic; it also carries significant semantic and epistemological implications, enabling the embodiment of abstract concepts, the animation of nature, the intensification of emotional resonance, and the articulation of themes such as alienation, memory, and the human relationship with the world. This study investigates the anthropomorphic representation of night in the poetry of Abdullah al-Bardouni, one of the most prominent contemporary Yemeni poets, whose poetry engages deeply with human and social concerns and transforms the poetic text into a humanistic space for confronting oppression, domination, and marginalization. The significance of this study lies in highlighting anthropomorphism as an innovative artistic device capable of transcending conventional poetic patterns and establishing new semantic relationships between the human subject and the surrounding world. Employing a descriptive-analytical approach, the study examines the manifestations of the anthropomorphization of night and their semantic implications in al-Bardouni’s poetry. The findings reveal that the poet employs diverse artistic representations to portray night as a living entity endowed with human qualities and emotions, thereby integrating it into his inner world and emotional experience. The anthropomorphization of night also reflects the poet’s sorrow, suffering, and alienation, particularly through its evocation of painful memories and enduring experiences of the past.