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Level B2
Poetry & Prose
10 words · ~15 min
Grammar focus
Literary terminology and Arabic poetic meter (بحور الشعر) vocabulary
Cultural note
Arabic poetry has a tradition spanning over 1,500 years, from the pre-Islamic المعلقات to modern free verse pioneered by Nāzik al-Malāʾika.
Lesson overview
Poetry & Prose is a level B2 lesson of 10 words: 10 nouns. Its words come from 6 Arabic roots, listed below with links to each root family.
- Builds on: Rhetorical Devices (B2)
- Leads to: Visual Arts & Architecture (B2)
- Previous lesson: Environment & Climate (B2)
Word list
| Arabic | Meaning | Type | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
شِعْر shiʿr | poetry | noun | ش-ع-ر |
نَثْر nathr | prose | noun | ن-ث-ر |
نَقْد أَدَبِيّ naqd adabiyy | literary criticism | noun | ن-ق-د / أ-د-ب |
بَيْت شِعْرِيّ bayt shiʿriyy | verse / line of poetry | noun | ب-ي-ت / ش-ع-ر |
قَافِيَة qāfiya | rhyme | noun | ق-ف-و |
بَلَاغَة balāgha | rhetoric / eloquence | noun | ب-ل-غ |
اِسْتِعَارَة istiʿāra | metaphor | noun | ع-و-ر |
كِنَايَة kināya | metonymy / allusion | noun | ك-ن-ي |
سَرْد sard | narration / narrative | noun | س-ر-د |
شَخْصِيَّة أَدَبِيَّة shakhṣiyya adabiyya | literary character | noun | ش-خ-ص / أ-د-ب |
Themes these words belong to: Literature Arts (10)
Sample word cards
شِعْر
shiʿr
poetry
نَثْر
nathr
prose
نَقْد أَدَبِيّ
naqd adabiyy
literary criticism
Exercises and spaced review for all 10 words
"Poetry & Prose" is one of 144 vocabulary lessons in Fahm Premium, each with guided exercises and spaced-repetition review. The first 10 lessons are free to try.
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