Discursive Functions of Figurative Elements in Contemporary Iraqi Panegyrics on Imam Sajjad (PBUH), with Emphasis on the Interrelation between Rhetoric and the Consolidation of Shiite Discourse

Objective: Using a discourse-analysis approach, the present study examines the functions of figurative elements in strengthening and consolidating religious-Shiite discourse in the panegyrics of a number of contemporary Iraqi poets on Imam Sajjad (PBUH). The central problem of the study is to determine how figurative elements contribute to the organization of meaning, the orientation of the reader’s interpretation, and the consolidation of the identity components of Shiite discourse.
Research Method: This study adopts a descriptive-analytical method and is based on the theoretical framework of critical discourse analysis. The research corpus consists of panegyrics composed by five contemporary Iraqi poets, namely Kashif al-Ghita, al-Falluji, Badi, Abu al-Hubb, and al-Wa'ili, on Imam Sajjad (PBUH). Accordingly, the figurative elements found in these poems were extracted and analyzed in terms of their discursive functions.
Results: The findings show that figurative elements in these panegyrics perform functions that go beyond aesthetic embellishment; they operate as active mechanisms in the production, consolidation, and orientation of meaning. These functions can be classified into four main axes: cohesion, foregrounding, affective influence, and concretization. At the level of cohesion, aligned semantic networks, extended metaphors, structural oppositions, and action-based narrative chains organize the textual structure around shared semantic centers and consolidate discourses such as oppression, compassion, historical mourning, and the continuity of Imamate. At the level of foregrounding, syntactic fronting, the accumulation of semantically charged names, and the transformation of abstract concepts into sensory signs place the sacred, devotional, and historical dimensions of the Imam’s identity at the center of the audience’s attention. From the perspective of affective influence, the embodiment of suffering, the rhetorical addressing of emotion, and sensory imagery transform doctrinal concepts into perceptual and emotional experiences. Moreover, in the process of concretization, concepts such as sacred lineage, guidance, and divine mercy are represented through natural and biological metaphors in the form of tangible images.
Conclusion: The results of the study indicate that figurative elements in contemporary Iraqi panegyrics on Imam Sajjad (PBUH) are not merely tools for creating literary beauty. Rather, as discursive mechanisms, they play an effective role in reproducing collective memory, deepening religious beliefs, and consolidating Shiite identity. From this perspective, contemporary Iraqi devotional poetry may be regarded as a discourse-oriented act that, through the connection between rhetoric and religious ideology, contributes to the representation and continuity of Shiite discourse.