RIFFATERRE’S SEMIOTICS IN NIZAR QABBANI’S POEM SYUKRAN LIHUBBIK

Abstract

Numerous semiotic studies have examined Nizar Qabbani’s works based on Riffaterre’s theory; however, the poem Syukran Lihubbik has not yet been specifically studied. This study addresses that gap through an analysis of heuristic and hermeneutic readings, discontinuity of expression, matrices, models, variants, and hypograms. The material object of this study is the poem Syukran Lihubbik by Nizar Qabbani, while the formal object is Riffaterre’s semiotics. This study employs a qualitative approach with a descriptive-analytical focus, and the data collection technique used is library research. This technique involves systematically reading, examining, noting, and reviewing various pieces of literature relevant to the research focus. Library research was used to obtain theoretical and conceptual foundations, as well as data supporting the analysis of the research object. This study demonstrates that the meaning of the poem is not only understood literally but also through heuristic and hermeneutic readings. The findings reveal that love in the poem is represented as a transformative force that profoundly influences the life of the lyrical protagonist, encompassing emotional, intellectual, and existential dimensions. The indirect nature of expression is evident through the use of metaphors, personification, paradoxes, and symbols that form connotative meaning. Analysis of the matrix, model, variants, and hypogram reveals a unity of meaning centered on the experience of love as a force that transforms human life. Thus, Riffaterre’s semiotic approach is effective in uncovering the structure of meaning and symbolism contained within the poem.