Poet and writer (b. 1 March 1847, İstanbul - d. 31
January 1914). He was the father of Ercüment Ekrem Talu. He was raised with
private education. Due to health problems, he could not complete
his education at Harbiye High School, where he attended after graduating from
the School of Knowledge (1858). He started working as a civil servant at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department of Correspondence (1862). He served as
chief assistant at the Tanzimat* and Public Works Departments (1874), as a
member of the Council of State (1877), a literature teacher at the School of
Politics and at Galatasaray High School (1880-88), as the Minister of Pious
Foundations and Education for a few months (1908) and as a member of the
Council of Senators (1908-14). Schools were closed on his death and a great
funeral ceremony was held in his honor. He is buried near the grave of his son
Nijad.
He was introduced to the literary world after becoming
acquainted with Namık Kemal and he took over the management of the journal Tasvir-i Evkar when Namık Kemal went to
France (1867). Recaizade mostly dealt with pessimistic emotions in his poems
arising from the death of his three sons, especially his son Niajd. He prepared
the foundation for the birth of the “New Literature Movement” with literary
discussions he had with Muallim Naci and his friends who supported the style of
old literature. The contemporary young poets and writers of the time, primarily
Tevfik Fikret, gathered around him. He played an important role in introducing
the ideas of Reformation and the West to a new generation. In literature he
supported the notion “Art for Art”. His novel Araba Sevdası (Automobile Love), featuring the character Bihruz Bey
and in which he criticized the excessive desire for westernization in Turkish
society, is accepted as one of the first examples of realism in Turkish
literature.
WORKS:
POETRY: Nağme-i
Seher (Melodies of Daybreak, 1871),
Yadigâr-ı Şebâb (Memories of the Young, 1873), Zemzeme (Melody, 3 volumes, 1883-85), Pejmürde (Ragged, 1895),
Nijad Ekrem (Nijad Ekrem, 1910), Nefrin (Curse, 1916).
SHORT
STORY: Muhsin Bey Yahut Şairliğin Hazin Bir
Neticesi (Muhsin Bey or a Pathetic End to Being a Poet, 1889), Şemsa (Rosette, 1895).
NOVEL: Araba
Sevdası yahut Bihruz Bey'in Âşıklığı (Automobile Love or the Love of Mr.
Bihruz, 1898, 1963, new edition 2002, published and prepared by Fatma Candost).
PLAY:
Afife Anjelik (Afife Anjelik, 1870), Vuslat Yahut Süreksiz Sevinç (Reunion
or Transient Joy, 1874), Çok Bilen Çok
Yanılır (Those Who Know a Lot Make a Lot of Mistakes, 1914).
ESSAY-CRITICISM: Talim-i
Edebiyat (Teaching Literature, 1879), Kudemadan Bir Kaç Şair (A Few Elder
Poets, biographies, 1885), Takdir-i Elhan
(Judgment of Elhan, critique of Muallim Naci’s opinions arising from
Menemenlizade Tahir's work named Elhan, 1886), Takrizât (Acknowledgement, introduction written for the books of young writers,
1898).
In
addition, he translated works.
