Semiotic Trends in the Poetry of the Pioneers Nazik Al-Malaika and Badr Shakir Al-Sayyab as a Model: An Analytical Study

Abstract

This study addresses the semiotic dimension in modern Arabic poetry as a semantic framework through which the poet reveals his existential vision related to social reality and its complexities. The semiotic structure is linked to the nature of the poetic experience and its ability to highlight the inherent beauty within it and analyze its internal components. From this perspective, the semiotic approach of Badr Shakir Al-Sayyab and Nazik Al-Malaika represents an important transitional phase between tradition and modernity, as their poetry marked a turning point in the structure and content of the Arabic poem, making them a connecting and separating link between two intellectually and artistically distinct stages. Semiotics in their poetry is not limited to being a means of linguistic expression but goes beyond that to embody the alienation of the human self and its immersion in the worlds of nature and imagination. Linguistic signs play a fundamental role in conveying the poet's psychological state, as the poetic sign is formed from the duality of escape and symbolic imagery, equating to a deep psychological portrayal of the self's suffering. This is reflected in their poems, which express anxiety, loneliness, existential questioning, alongside satire of the absurdity of life and the mystery of human destiny, prompting them to retreat into their inner world and express it through a system of signs that seeks to restore lost beauty.