The College of Basic Education at the University of Mosul discussed a PhD dissertation entitled “Regression to the Past in Pre-Islamic Poetry” on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, in the Umm Al-Rabeein Hall at the college.

The dissertation, submitted by Mohammed Adel Khalil Al-Bak Dali from the Department of Arabic Language, aimed to explore the nature of regression to the past in Pre-Islamic poetry, identify its artistic and aesthetic functions, and analyze its relationship to the Pre-Islamic poet’s perception of existence and time. It also sought to examine representations of the past and the mechanisms through which it is evoked in the construction of the Pre-Islamic poetic experience.

The study addressed several major themes, including the concept of regression to the past from both linguistic and terminological perspectives, as well as the views of philosophy, literature, and mythology on time and the value of the past. It further examined the formation of temporal perception among Arabs in the Pre-Islamic era. The dissertation also investigated transience as one of the most prominent manifestations of regression to the past through the poetic ruins motif (al-atlal) and the tension with the other. In addition, it explored contemplation and its manifestations in Pre-Islamic poetry and its connection to the poet’s perception of the absurdity of life and the futility of action and achievement.

The dissertation reached several significant findings. Among the most important was that regression to the past in Pre-Islamic poetry is not merely an expression of nostalgia for a bygone era; rather, it functions as an existential defensive mechanism through which the poet confronts the crises of the present and the challenges of time. The study also revealed the Pre-Islamic poet’s ability to employ the past as an active space for reshaping the present and anticipating the future. Furthermore, it demonstrated the effectiveness of the concept of regression in providing a modern critical approach that contributes to understanding the temporal structure of Pre-Islamic poetry and uncovering its existential and artistic dimensions.

The examination committee was chaired by Professor Dr. Salih Mohammed Hassan, with membership of Professor Dr. Yousif Suleiman Ismail, Professor Dr. Nusrat Salih Younis, Professor Dr. Basma Mahfoudh Abdullah, Professor Dr. Hala Abdul Fattah Saeed, and Professor Dr. Hassan Salih Sultan, who also served as the supervisor.

Media and Government Communication Division.