This research is motivated by the importance of associative meaning in poetry as a formative element of
imaginative power, emotion, and linguistic creativity. However, there has been limited research
systematizing associative meaning techniques as a model for poetry writing instruction. This study aims to
analyze associative meaning techniques in Chairil Anwar's poems and formulate their implications for
poetry writing instruction. This research employs a qualitative descriptive design with semantic analysis of
eight selected poems from the collection Aku Ini Binatang Jalang (I Am a Wild Animal). Data were collected
through repeated reading and note-taking techniques, while data analysis was conducted through
componential analysis, referential analysis, and meaning verification using KBBI (the Indonesian
Dictionary). The research findings indicate that there are three dominant techniques in the development of
associative meaning in Chairil Anwar's poetry: meaning components, rewriting, and synonymy. The
synonymy technique is the most frequently used, followed by rewriting and meaning components. These
findings demonstrate that associative meaning plays a crucial role in strengthening the expressive power and
semantic depth of poetry. These findings have implications for poetry writing instruction, namely the need
for explicit teaching of associative techniques to help students enrich their diction choices and expand
semantic creativity in their poetic works.