Poet (b. ?, İstanbul – d.
1730). His real name was Ahmed. He received a good education and became a
teacher. He was protected by Grand Vizier
Şehid Ali Paşa and then by Nevşehirli Damat İbrahim Paşa. He participated in
courses of interpretation of the Koran in the presence of Sultan Ahmet III. and
won approval for his poems. He worked as
a judge in the law court of Mahmut Paşa (1725); as teacher at Molla Kırımî,
Sadi Efendi and Sahn-ı Seman Madrasah Muslim Schools (1721-1730), worked with
the committee translating Sahaifü'l Ahbar (Pages of Chronicles, translation,
published in 3 volumes, 1868) by Müneccimbaşı Ahmet Efendi and İkdü'l Cüman fi
Tarihi Ehli'z-Zaman by Bedreddin Aynî (1719-1725). It is said that he died falling from the roof
of his house in Beşiktaş to where he had climbed during the Vice-Admiral Halil
Rebellion (1730). His tomb is in Karacaahmet.
Living in the enjoyable and
entertaining era known as the “Tulip Period” and reflecting this in his poems,
Nedim is one of the best poets of Turkish literature because of his unhesitant
innovation while at the same time being loyal to Divan poetry style along with
the high quality of lyricism reached in his poems in which he made good use of
folk language. In his poems in which he
dealt with the subjects of love, wine and beautiful women without dealing with
Sufism and religion he used a plainer language than his contemporaries did.
Especially simplicity in his songs played an important role in their being sung
with pleasure for years. His poems, which are among the best poems of Turkish
literature, are important because they introduce İstanbul; the diversions, the
places of entertainment, traditions and fashion styles of the time. He also
wrote a folk song written in syllabic meter.
Yaşar Kemal is regarded as the
most successful poet among the hundreds of poets that he influenced. First
Halil Nihat (1922), then Abdülbaki Gölpınarlı (1951), published Nedim Divanı
(The Divan* of Nedim). His life became the subject of the plays Nedim (Nedim,
1932) by Halit Fahri Ozansoy and Nedim ve Lale Devri (Nedim and the Tulip
Period, 1950) by Faik Ali Ozansoy.
REFERENCE: Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar / 19. Asır Türk Edebiyatı Tarihi (1942), Necmettin Halil Onan / İzahlı Divan Şiiri Antolojisi (1946), Faik Ali Ozansoy / Nedim ve Lale Devri (1950), Abdülbaki Gölpınarlı / Nedim Divanı (1951), Hasibe Mazıoğlu / Ne¬dim'in Divan Şiirine Getirdiği Yenilik (s. 32-64, 1957), Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar / Edebiyat Üzerine Makaleler (1969), Bursalı Mehmed Tahir / Osmanlı Müellifleri I (1972), Atilla Özkırımlı / Nedim (1974), İhsan Işık / Yazarlar Sözlüğü (1990, 1998) - Türkiye Yazarlar Ansiklopedisi (2001, 2004) – Encyclopedia of Turkish Authors (2005) - Resimli ve Metin Örnekli Türkiye Edebiyatçılar ve Kültür Adamları Ansiklopedisi (2006, gen. 2. bas. 2007) – Ünlü Edebiyatçılar (Türkiye Ünlüleri Ansiklopedisi, C. 4, 2013) - Encyclopedia of Turkey’s Famous People (2013), Ahmet Kabaklı / Şair-i Cihan Nedim (1996), Mehmet Nuri Yardım / Edebiyatımızın Güleryüzü (2002), TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi (C. 32, s. 510-513).