The Implicature Strategy in Al-Mutanabbi’s Poetry: A Pragmatic Study

Abstract

This research examines the pragmatic dimensions of indirect speech acts in the poetry of Abu al-Ṭayyib al-Mutanabbi, focusing on the implicature strategy as a key mechanism for expressing his communicative intentions. Adopting a pragmatic approach, the study analyzes how the poet employs linguistic and figurative strategies—such as symbol, entailment, simile, and metaphor—to encode meaning beyond the surface structure of language. The findings reveal that Al-Mutanabbi frequently used symbols derived from natural elements like the sun, the moon, and the clouds to convey themes of pride and praise, endowing these symbols with distinctive stylistic originality. In contrast, his satire and ridicule draw on animal imagery representing moral inferiority, while his praise invokes powerful and noble creatures such as the lion. The research demonstrates that Al-Mutanabbi’s poetic discourse is deeply rooted in indirect expression, where metaphorical implicatures conceal the poet’s true intentions and rely on the reader’s interpretive competence to uncover layered meanings. Thus, his poetry exemplifies the richness of pragmatic expression in classical Arabic literature.