Poetic Imagery and Meanings in Habib Al-Sayegh’s Contributions: A Descriptive and Analytical Study

Abstract

This study examines an aspect of the poetic contributions of the poet Habib Al-Sayegh. In Habib Al-Sayegh’s poetry, the presence of the Holy Qur’an is evident in his poetic lexicon and in the way images and meanings are constructed. The poet employs Qur’anic vocabulary with precision and draws inspiration from lofty values and concepts such as justice, mercy and human destiny, which endow his poetry with profound semantic and spiritual depth. Poets also benefit from the musical qualities of the Qur’anic text, such as repetition, intonation and phonetic parallelism, which give the poem a distinctive internal rhythm that enhances its psychological and aesthetic impact. In Habib Al-Sayegh’s poetic collections, this influence is evident in the repetition of phrases, the use of short sentences and the balance of poetic segments, achieving harmony between form and content and granting the poetic text strong evocative power. The Holy Qur’an represents a major source for the renewal of modern Emirati poetry and gives Habib Al-Sayegh’s poetry its creative distinction in terms of language, rhythm and meaning.