Throughout the years and to all different walks on the face of the earth, heroes exist with various meanings to each individual. It is extremely hard to put one definition to this word. What one may see as a hero, another may not. Some definitions include, a brave man, a superman, a champion, a conqueror, a victor, and a winner. This definition though varies through diverse people’s eyes. A serial killer may view Charles Manson as his/her hero, while others may view someone who has favorable traits as their hero (in a good sense). It is all relevant to who people are, their identities, and whom they relate to.The topic of this essay deals with Pre-Islamic poetry (qasida’s), which were recited orally and had a strong social purpose. That purpose being the reinforcement of the poets identities and values. This Bedouin, nomadic society was dominated by poetry, for entertainment and social purposes, especially the latter. Therefore, the statement, “Poetry is the speech of heroes” is proven valid through several examples from various Qasida’s (whether literary or literal truth) portraying favorable traits or attributes from within the societies, reinforcing their identities, making poets regarded as heroes by their people. Numerous themes that appear throughout all qasida’s in different forms and tones, include: the Nasib(memory of his lost beloved), the Rahil (the theme of survival in the desert), sections such as the wine section, the hikma section, proverbs, and the Gharad (where the performative purpose of the qasida is being told). Four qasida’s in which Poet’s came through as heroes were: Is What You Knew Kept Secret, The Mu ‘allaqa Labib, Bid Hurayra Farewell, and Shanfara-The Arabian Ode in L. Each qasida pretty much has the same format, with different and sometimes overlapping meanings. “A poet was the pride and ornament of his people, for he alone would perp...
