Representations of the Heart in Al-Buhturi’s Poetry: A Thematic Study

Abstract

This study examines the thematic representations of the heart in the poetry of Al-Buhturi, focusing on its symbolic formations and its psychological, aesthetic, and value-related functions within poetic discourse. Employing a thematic methodology, the research treats the heart as a central poetic motif through which emotions, inner conflicts, and experiential meanings are articulated. The study is structured into five main sections preceded by an introduction and a preface. These sections analyze the heart as a locus of love and passion, a source of courage and severity, an enclosed inner space, a site of pain and emotional rupture, and a container for negative emotions. The findings demonstrate that the heart occupies a privileged position in Al-Buhturi’s poetry, reflected in the diversity of terms and metaphors used to denote it, such as heart, chest, fuʾād, and conscience, alongside figurative expressions that emphasize concealment, fear, and resentment. The study further reveals that Al-Buhturi’s representation of the heart extends beyond abstract emotional symbolism to include material and spatial dimensions, as the heart is sometimes depicted as the dwelling place of the beloved. This multiplicity of representations highlights the heart’s central role in structuring poetic meaning and emotional expression in Al-Buhturi’s verse.