Patriotic Connotations in the National Anthem of the Republic of Yemen

Abstract

This paper, based on a structuralist approach and content analysis, intends to investigate and analyze critically how the national poet, the author of the National Anthem of the Republic of Yemen, Abdullah Numan connotes patriotic lyric expressions and how he repeatedly uses lexical words such as unity, banner, and particularly the possessive adjective 'my' through the national anthem. Splendidly, due to indicating Numan's love for his country and feeling of belonging, it is of great interest to trace our concern, loyalty, and sense of belonging towards our homeland through his creative humanistic work (anthem) and its dignity. As to this worldly concern, most national anthems intuitively represent patriotism.
 The structure of this paper is divided into four parts; in the first part, the researcher initiates by introducing the topic including the geographical, historical and political overview of the Republic of Yemen and indicating the three symbols of the country: national emblem, national flag and more specifically national anthem. In addition to those, two patriotic pioneers of Yemen's stars are written about: the author of the National Anthem of Yemen Numan and the composer Taresh. The second part states the conceptual and theoretical framings of this paper. The third part is devoted to the methodological framework identifying the linguistic texture and thematic texture of the National Anthem of the Republic of Yemen. In this part, the researcher through the textual analysis of the anthem, furthermore, attempts to semiologically concentrate on structuring both the surface and the underlying systems to generate the production of meanings or connotations. She also follows some intrinsic ways of some social psychologists' emphasis on the main characteristics of patriotism as loyalty, love and individual's national belonging by elucidating the content of the text linguistically and signifying the religious, historical, cultural, nationalistic and ideological patriotic signified of the national identity of Yemenis. The last part summarizes the analysis of the text by portraying patriotically two important sides: first, struggling of the soldiers for their lives. Second, observing the two bisectors of the North and the South of Yemen in alliance with keeping the dignity of the national anthem despite of their different ideology. 
 Key words: Patriotism, Connotations/Signifieds, National Belonging, National Anthem, Identity, Love, Loyalty, Homeland, the Republic of Yemen