 According to H.A.R.Gibb, the "qaṣīda" poems "are remarkable for their sincerity, directness, and natural vigour", in contrast to the elaborate style of al-Mutanabbi, while the "ʿIrāqī" poems are merely "elegant trifles, formal and unoriginal".It is the "al-Rūmiyyāt", however, and their "combination [...] of pathos, dignity, and pride" (El Tayib) that have secured Abu Firas' place among the greats of Arabic poetry.