Abstract:

Emerging with the beginning of New Turkish literature, the discussion of tradition is a phenomenon that has kept its popularity till today. This argument proceeds in parallel with the discussion made about westernization process. Rising with the natural consequence of the physical defeat against the West, this process results in a discussion and a manner that has kept its effect up to date. This discussion- which always remains on the agenda in terms of comparisons between old-new, traditional-modern- keeps its existence as one of the most significant social dilemmas and, above all, as the most important problem of our identity formation. Inan, who penned his early poems in 1960s and published Edebiyat magazine with Nuri Pakdik, Rasim Özdenören and Erdem Beyazıt in 1969 and Mavera magazine with Cahit Zarifoğlu, Rasim Özdenören, Erdem Bayazıt, Alaeddin Özdenören and Ersin Gürdoğan in 1976, made an effort to transform these literature magazines into a school of literature. Inan wrote with the perspective of inclusive innovation inspired by the tradition. Bringing the tradition of Divan poetry together with the poetry concept of the day, Inan produced an innovative and original poetry that did not ignore and repeat the tradition. As Birkan suggests, he “achieved using verse forms, syllabic meter and folk poetry of Divan literature hand in hand”. His poetry includes a characteristic that carries the specialty and expression ability of classical poetry into the modern day. The present study aims to determine the reflections of Turkish poetry tradition on his poetry and analyze the literary and traditional views of Mehmet Akif Inan who provides Turkish poetry with sensitivity and forges a link between Divan poetry and today by asserting that: “The literature itself establishes its own material by collecting it from the age. While doing this, he maintains its concern with the past and reaches the future. The body of literature exists in its age and its one hand touches the past while the other one touches the future. It cannot disrupt the relation with the past because it is interested in its age which is an ordinary extent of the past; namely, its age is folded over its past”.

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