The Department of Arabic Language organized a seminar entitled "Literary Criticism: Between Impressionism and Science" at the Al-Qunfudhah University College theater. Their Excellencies Prof. Sami Sulaiman, Prof. Lutfi Dabaish, and Dr. Udah Al-Shimari delivered lectures in this seminar. The session was headed by His Excellency Prof. Ali Al-Shihri, Head of the Department of Arabic Language at Al-Qunfudhah University College.
The chairman of the session gave a lecture about the importance of literary criticism in teaching literature courses to undergraduate students of the Arabic Language. He pointed out that literary criticism is an intellectual product of literature, and one of its prerequisites to strengthen it. Literature and criticism always influence each other, one completing the other, and they never conflict.
First contribution: Dr. Udah Al-Shimari, an assistant professor at the Department of Arabic Language, tackled the history of literary criticism and its innate beginnings during the early literary ages. He pointed out the prominent characteristics of the critical heritage, and the importance of adopting modern studies that use others' methodologies, trends, and critical procedures. He also stated that intercultural relations with others play a great role in serving Arabic as well as other types of texts.
As for the second contribution, Prof. Sami Sulaiman from the Department of Arabic Language discussed several critical issues related firstly to concepts and secondly to achievements. He dealt with the issue of impressionism and scientific procedures, and linked them to subjectivity and objectivity. He explained their roots in the history of literary criticism. He also tackled the age of European Renaissance, and its importance as a source of theories and viewpoints for theoreticians. He then presented certain experiences of critics, and pointed out their active role in developing literature and the experiences of men of letters.
As for the third contribution, Prof. Lutfi Dabaish from the Department of Arabic Language pointed out the effect of linguistics on literary criticism and how to make use of modern methods of criticism, especially on the part of the academic staff. The speaker pointed out that many methods have become basic introductions in approaching literature, both poetry and prose. These methods include structural method, structural and social method, deconstruction method, pragmatic method, stylistic method, and discourse analysis that gives a value to the spoken words and the situation. The speaker pointed out that the modern methods of search mechanisms free literary criticism from relying only on impressions and random rulings.
At the end of the seminar, the chairman of the session allowed the audience to ask questions and discuss ideas. A rich dialogue was conducted and regarded by the chairman of the session as a development to the agenda of the seminar, and an explanation of some of the issues raised in the three contributions.