The Passion of Love in Hudhali Poetry: A Study of Abu Sakhr al-Hudhali’s Rhyme-in-Rāʾ Poem from the Perspective of the Semiotics of Passions

Abstract

This study applies the Semiotics of Passions to Abu Sakhr al-Hudhali’s rāʾiyyah ‘Rhyme-in-Rāʾ’ poem in order to explore the role of love as a generative force within classical Arabic poetry. Drawing on the theoretical framework developed by Algirdas Julien Greimas and Jacques Fontanille, the research approaches emotion not merely as a thematic element but as a dynamic structure that shapes meaning, perception, and poetic expression. The study begins with a theoretical discussion of semiotics and the Semiotics of Passions before examining the manifestation of love and the emotional schema underlying the poem. Through this analytical framework, the research demonstrates how love functions as the central passion that motivates poetic creation and organizes the text’s linguistic and imaginative dimensions. The analysis further reveals that associated emotions such as sorrow, longing, and yearning emerge as interconnected affective states that contribute to the poem’s semantic richness and emotional progression. The findings show that love occupies a foundational position in Abu Sakhr al-Hudhali’s poetic discourse, serving as a source of textual coherence and emotional transformation. The study concludes that the Semiotics of Passions provides an effective critical approach for uncovering the affective structures embedded in classical Arabic poetry and for understanding the relationship between emotion, language, and meaning.