This article studied the life and work of Imru' al-Qays bin Hujr, the most distinguished poet of pre-Islamic times, according to the early Arabic-language sources. Despite the fact that the birth and the death dates of the poet are not known exactly, based on the information contained in the study of “Kitāb alshiʿr wa al-shuʿarā”, which is involved in the research, a certain idea is drawn about the period in which he lived. The article also reviews the activities of Imru' al-Qays bin Hujr to take revenge on his murdered father and restore the lost influence of his tribe. The poet lived at a time when there was an intense struggle for the region between Byzantium and Sassanids. From this point of view, Imru al-Qays' looking for new allies and his visit to Byzantium was also the focus of the sources attention. The article also features the information about the new templates that was brought to the Arabic poetry by Imru al-Qays, as well as his place among the Jahiliyyah poets, motive of "Atlal", his good and bad poems, reviewing the main aspects of the poet's poetry. The poet, who has brought a number of new things to the Arabic poetry, has become a benchmark for critics of later times. Imru al-Qays' poetry is also an interesting source for studying the traditions, religious and mythological outlook and concepts of the Arab society in Jahiliyyah.