Textual beginning in Literary Discourse

The literary text contains crucial strategic parts such as the title, the beginning and the conclusion that reveal its secrets (laden powers) and aesthetics. The beginning is the most important of these parts because it establishes the text as it is that linguistic sign from which textual connotations are generated. Therefore, studying the workings of textual beginning discloses the way textual connotations form. Besides, after the title the textual beginning is the first encounter between the reader and the text, either it allures him to continue reading the text or distances him/her, hence comes its importance. This reading aims at unveiling the capacity of textual beginning to establish the text: is it capable of establishing the text or is it just a linguistic sign like any other textual signs? If it can, how are textual connotations formed then? This reading presupposes that the beginning is capable of forming textual connotations as it is the sign from which all other signs, structurally and semantically, emerge. This reading while posing the issue of textual beginning is informed by the semiotic approach which studies the interconnection and correlation among signs of the text as a whole network. In order to disclose the workings of the beginning the nature of textual beginning including its definition, types, functions and limits are discussed. Then the textual beginning in Mahmoud Darwish’s poem “Qubar Al-Qauafil” will be studied to explore its capability of establishing the text. The study shows that it is a pluralistic beginning that establishes the text both structurally and semantically. As far as structure is concerned, the vocabulary of the beginning appear in the body of the text in the same wording or synonymously. As for the connotation, all themes of the text derived their connotations from the main focus of the beginning: forgetfulness, with variations the relation between the beginning and the textual themes.