Denotative and Connotative Meanings in the Poem Uḥibbuki Uḥibbuki Wa Hādhā Tawqī‘Ī by Nizar Qabbani

Abstract

As a literary work that uses a lot of figurative language, poetry is famous for the denotative and connotative meanings it produces. Regarding this phenomenon, the article analyzes the denotative and connotative meanings in the poem Uḥibbuki Uḥibbuki wa Hādhā Tawqī‘ī by Nizar Qabbani. The study aims to examine how the poet employs connotative language to depict feelings of longing emotionally and profoundly. Connotative language in modern Arabic poetry, including Qabbani’s works, functions not only as an aesthetic tool of communication but also as a medium for expressing complex emotions and cultural values. The research method used is qualitative descriptive with a library research approach. Data were collected through documentation techniques by identifying words or phrases in the poem related to the theme of longing. The primary source consists of the original Arabic text of the poem and its translation, while secondary data were obtained from literature discussing Arabic literary traditions. The analysis was conducted through four stages: identifying diction related to longing, classifying the meanings into denotative and connotative categories, analyzing them based on Geoffrey Leech’s theory of meaning, and interpreting the meanings within the emotional and cultural context of Arab society. The results show that there are six dictions with denotative meanings and six with connotative meanings. According to Nizar Qabbani, literal meaning is insufficient to express the depth of emotion; thus, connotative language serves as the primary medium to convey intense longing in a way that is both expressive and representative of the Arabic poetic tradition. This study has implications for the field of poetic stylistics studies, especially Arabic literature, because it strengthens the evidence of the richness of Arabic language used in poetry, especially the romantic genre.