•  
  •  
 

Abstract

This study examines the duality of presence and absence in Al-Mutanabbi’s poetry as a central framework for understanding his poetic, philosophical, and existential vision. The research aims to explore how these opposing yet interconnected concepts shape the poet’s perception of self, authority, and human existence. This study employs a qualitative descriptive-analytical approach by analyzing selected poems through thematic interpretation, stylistic analysis, and semiotic reading. The analysis focuses on figurative language, rhetorical structures, symbolism, irony, and contrast as poetic strategies used to construct meaning. The findings reveal that presence in Al-Mutanabbi’s poetry is represented through self-affirmation, heroism, power, and intellectual superiority, often embodied in the image of the victorious knight and the representative voice of society. In contrast, absence appears in themes of exile, loss, death, alienation, and unfulfilled aspirations, reflecting the poet’s awareness of human limitation and existential uncertainty. The study further demonstrates that the relationship between presence and absence is not oppositional but mutually constitutive, creating a dynamic internal dialogue between ambition and vulnerability, permanence and transience. This dialectical tension also reflects the intellectual’s struggle against political authority and the passage of time. The study concludes that Al-Mutanabbi transforms absence into a productive poetic force that reconstructs meaning and deepens human experience, positioning his poetry as a profound philosophical and existential discourse beyond conventional praise and satire.

Download

Share

COinS