Remarks have often been made, with regard to shakwa (complaint) as a poetic theme, in modem studies concerning literature during the Abbisid period. This study, however, is an attempt to highlight shakwa as one of the poetic themes in Arabic literature and to show its evolution from the pre-Islamic period up to the Abbasid period 3rd-4th / 9th-10th centuries when it became recognised as one of the established literary themes. This study also attempts to answer the following question: Since shakwa was regarded as one of the poetic literary themes, why did the classical critical writings ignore the genre, discussing it so little that the literary works did not include it with other literary themes? Light will be shed on the various types of shakwa composed by the poets (e.g. shakwa of the beloved; of poverty; of time; of getting old etc.. ). This study is divided into four chapters, an introduction and a conclusion. The first chapter is devoted to discussing the evolution of the term shakwa in the lexical sources, its use in the Quran, in Hadith and its treatment within the literary sources. The second chapter discusses the existance and the use of the term and the subject of shakwa in poetry since the beginning of the Arabic qasidah in the pre-Islamic period. The third chapter sheds light on the influence of social and economic conditions in Abbasid society which led to the rise of kudyah (begging) as a style in poetry, with special emphasis on the third/ ninth century. This kudyah style, in poetry, is discussed in relation to the works of two poets: "Abu Fircaun al-Sasi and al-Aqnaf al-Ukbari." The fourth chapter discusses the idea of directing shakwa to God, through the poetry of some Sufis, faqihs and other poets. It also shows the different treatment of this type of shakwa by various Abbisid poets, excluding the Andalusian poets.