جامعة أصفهان بحوث في اللغة العربية 2821-0638 18 34 2026 04 01 A Semiotic Study of the Poem Al-Tahaddi by Mohammed Al-Saleh Bawia in Light of Riffaterre’s Theory A Semiotic Study of the Poem Al-Tahaddi by Mohammed Al-Saleh Bawia in Light of Riffaterre’s Theory 69 88 29841 10.22108/rall.2025.145009.1586 AR Abdolvahid Navidi Assistant Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran Abbas Yadollahi Farsani Associate Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran Sajads Salamat MA Student, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran Journal Article 2025 04 22 Poetry, as a distinctive literary form, encapsulates multiple layers of meaning that demand analytical approaches beyond superficial readings to uncover its deeper significations. The poem Al-Tahaddi by Mohammed Al-Saleh Bawia, featured on page 43 of his collection Aghniyat Nidaliyya, emerges as a significant text due to its rich semiotic structure and its engagement with themes of resistance, identity, and hope. This study employs Michael Riffaterre’s semiotic theory to analyze the poem, focusing on its implicit meanings and symbolic depth. Riffaterre’s framework, which emphasizes a dual reading process—heuristic and hermeneutic—offers a robust method for decoding the linguistic and symbolic elements of poetry. The research aims to address three key questions: What does the heuristic reading reveal about the poem’s structure? What deeper meanings does the hermeneutic reading uncover? And what are the significant hidden significations revealed through Riffaterre’s semiotic approach? By situating the poem within the context of contemporary Arabic poetry, which has evolved into a medium of intellectual, political, and social critique, this study underscores the poem’s relevance in reflecting the complexities of the Arab world’s socio-political realities, particularly in response to the 1956 Tripartite Aggression against Egypt. The study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach grounded in Riffaterre’s semiotic theory, which dissects the text through two primary stages: heuristic reading, which examines the surface linguistic structure, and hermeneutic reading, which probes deeper meanings and accumulated symbols. Four analytical tools are utilized: accumulations, identifying semantic repetitions; descriptive systems, delineating major semantic fields; the hypogram, defining the core hidden meaning; and the structural matrix, providing the poem’s foundational framework. The heuristic reading analyzes the poem’s explicit linguistic elements, such as word choice and syntactic patterns, to establish its surface meaning. In contrast, the hermeneutic reading explores interrelations among textual elements to uncover latent significations, focusing on symbols and their contextual interplay. The poem’s historical backdrop, the 1956 Tripartite Aggression, is considered to contextualize its themes of resistance and Arab nationalism. Previous studies on Mohammed Al-Saleh Bawia’s poetry, such as those by Serbouk Khadija and Rahmani Abdelkader, are reviewed to highlight the gap in applying Riffaterre’s methodology to Al-Tahaddi, justifying the study’s novelty. This dual reading approach ensures a comprehensive analysis of the poem’s semiotic structure, bridging linguistic form and ideological content. The heuristic reading reveals Al-Tahaddi as a powerful expression of resistance against oppression, articulated through the repeated use of the word "atahada" (I challenge), which underscores the poem’s defiant tone. The text juxtaposes two semantic categories: words of resistance, courage, and hope (e.g., "atahada", "sabqa", and "naba’ al-dhiya’") against those of oppression and destruction (e.g., "quwwat al-jabbar", "kharab", and "haqd"). These lexical oppositions reflect the broader conflict between good and evil, embodied in the poem’s imagery of the Egyptian people as an unyielding "tood" (mountain) confronting the "asifat" (storms) of colonial aggression. The hermeneutic reading identifies four descriptive systems: confrontation with the enemy, hope and peace, the nature of the enemy, and national identity. The system of confrontation, marked by terms like "i’sar" (cyclone) and "hashrajat al-shuhada’" (death rattles of martyrs), symbolizes the relentless and transformative power of collective resistance. The hope and peace system, with words like "hubb" (love) and "salaam" (peace), conveys an optimistic vision of rebuilding post-conflict. The enemy system highlights the destructive attributes of colonialism, while the national identity system, with terms like "ummati" (my nation) and "qanali" (my canal), reinforces Arab unity and pride. The hypogram encapsulates the poem’s core as a challenge to tyranny and a refusal to submit, while the structural matrix frames this resistance as a journey from oppression to liberation, rooted in collective strength and hope. This semiotic analysis of Al-Tahaddi by Mohammed Al-Saleh Bawia, through Riffaterre’s framework, illuminates the poem’s intricate layers of meaning, revealing its role as a potent symbol of Arab resistance and identity. The heuristic reading establishes the poem’s surface structure, highlighting its linguistic oppositions and thematic clarity, while the hermeneutic reading uncovers deeper symbolic networks that articulate a vision of defiance, unity, and hope. The study’s findings affirm the poem’s dual accumulations of strength/challenge and love/peace, its four descriptive systems, and its hypogram and structural matrix, which collectively underscore the transformative power of collective action against tyranny. By situating Al-Tahaddi within the socio-political context of the 1956 Tripartite Aggression, this research demonstrates how poetry can transcend aesthetic purposes to become a vehicle for ideological and cultural expression. The application of Riffaterre’s theory not only enriches the understanding of this specific text but also highlights the broader potential of semiotic approaches in decoding contemporary Arabic poetry, offering insights into its role in articulating the Arab world’s struggles and aspirations. Poetry, as a distinctive literary form, encapsulates multiple layers of meaning that demand analytical approaches beyond superficial readings to uncover its deeper significations. The poem Al-Tahaddi by Mohammed Al-Saleh Bawia, featured on page 43 of his collection Aghniyat Nidaliyya, emerges as a significant text due to its rich semiotic structure and its engagement with themes of resistance, identity, and hope. This study employs Michael Riffaterre’s semiotic theory to analyze the poem, focusing on its implicit meanings and symbolic depth. Riffaterre’s framework, which emphasizes a dual reading process—heuristic and hermeneutic—offers a robust method for decoding the linguistic and symbolic elements of poetry. The research aims to address three key questions: What does the heuristic reading reveal about the poem’s structure? What deeper meanings does the hermeneutic reading uncover? And what are the significant hidden significations revealed through Riffaterre’s semiotic approach? By situating the poem within the context of contemporary Arabic poetry, which has evolved into a medium of intellectual, political, and social critique, this study underscores the poem’s relevance in reflecting the complexities of the Arab world’s socio-political realities, particularly in response to the 1956 Tripartite Aggression against Egypt. The study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach grounded in Riffaterre’s semiotic theory, which dissects the text through two primary stages: heuristic reading, which examines the surface linguistic structure, and hermeneutic reading, which probes deeper meanings and accumulated symbols. Four analytical tools are utilized: accumulations, identifying semantic repetitions; descriptive systems, delineating major semantic fields; the hypogram, defining the core hidden meaning; and the structural matrix, providing the poem’s foundational framework. The heuristic reading analyzes the poem’s explicit linguistic elements, such as word choice and syntactic patterns, to establish its surface meaning. In contrast, the hermeneutic reading explores interrelations among textual elements to uncover latent significations, focusing on symbols and their contextual interplay. The poem’s historical backdrop, the 1956 Tripartite Aggression, is considered to contextualize its themes of resistance and Arab nationalism. Previous studies on Mohammed Al-Saleh Bawia’s poetry, such as those by Serbouk Khadija and Rahmani Abdelkader, are reviewed to highlight the gap in applying Riffaterre’s methodology to Al-Tahaddi, justifying the study’s novelty. This dual reading approach ensures a comprehensive analysis of the poem’s semiotic structure, bridging linguistic form and ideological content. The heuristic reading reveals Al-Tahaddi as a powerful expression of resistance against oppression, articulated through the repeated use of the word "atahada" (I challenge), which underscores the poem’s defiant tone. The text juxtaposes two semantic categories: words of resistance, courage, and hope (e.g., "atahada", "sabqa", and "naba’ al-dhiya’") against those of oppression and destruction (e.g., "quwwat al-jabbar", "kharab", and "haqd"). These lexical oppositions reflect the broader conflict between good and evil, embodied in the poem’s imagery of the Egyptian people as an unyielding "tood" (mountain) confronting the "asifat" (storms) of colonial aggression. The hermeneutic reading identifies four descriptive systems: confrontation with the enemy, hope and peace, the nature of the enemy, and national identity. The system of confrontation, marked by terms like "i’sar" (cyclone) and "hashrajat al-shuhada’" (death rattles of martyrs), symbolizes the relentless and transformative power of collective resistance. The hope and peace system, with words like "hubb" (love) and "salaam" (peace), conveys an optimistic vision of rebuilding post-conflict. The enemy system highlights the destructive attributes of colonialism, while the national identity system, with terms like "ummati" (my nation) and "qanali" (my canal), reinforces Arab unity and pride. The hypogram encapsulates the poem’s core as a challenge to tyranny and a refusal to submit, while the structural matrix frames this resistance as a journey from oppression to liberation, rooted in collective strength and hope. This semiotic analysis of Al-Tahaddi by Mohammed Al-Saleh Bawia, through Riffaterre’s framework, illuminates the poem’s intricate layers of meaning, revealing its role as a potent symbol of Arab resistance and identity. The heuristic reading establishes the poem’s surface structure, highlighting its linguistic oppositions and thematic clarity, while the hermeneutic reading uncovers deeper symbolic networks that articulate a vision of defiance, unity, and hope. The study’s findings affirm the poem’s dual accumulations of strength/challenge and love/peace, its four descriptive systems, and its hypogram and structural matrix, which collectively underscore the transformative power of collective action against tyranny. By situating Al-Tahaddi within the socio-political context of the 1956 Tripartite Aggression, this research demonstrates how poetry can transcend aesthetic purposes to become a vehicle for ideological and cultural expression. The application of Riffaterre’s theory not only enriches the understanding of this specific text but also highlights the broader potential of semiotic approaches in decoding contemporary Arabic poetry, offering insights into its role in articulating the Arab world’s struggles and aspirations.

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