Motives of Oppression in the Poetry of Pre-Islamic Female Poets

(A semiotic study)

Abstract

Women were the backbone of social life in pre-Islamic society, as primary nurturers of the family and providers of support in all aspects of life. Yet, they endured oppression, repression, and marginalisation under male authority. Against this backdrop, I examined the motives for oppression in the poetry of pre-Islamic female poets through a semiotic approach, tracing how their verse reflected the breadth of this oppression and its varied causes. The aim is to uncover the dimensions of lived human experience—emotional, psychological, and social—as embodied in their poetry, and to demonstrate the role of semiotics in revealing deeper meanings and expanding interpretation.

Women of that era engaged fully with their social conditions, embodying their roles as mothers, wives, daughters, and sisters. With their refined sensibilities and artistic talents, they transformed simple surroundings into imaginative worlds enriched by intellectual vision.

This study is divided into two chapters. The first lays the theoretical foundation: the concept of semiotics in Arab and Western traditions, its importance in poetic discourse, and the idea of oppression as a social and psychological force inspiring female poetic expression. The second chapter applies analysis, uncovering hidden meanings, symbols, and semiotic signs that illuminate the emotional and poetic experiences of pre-Islamic female poets.