Poet (b. 1918, Manisa – d. 28 Ağustos 2008, Bodrum). He graduated from Necati Bey Primary Teachers Training School and after working as a teacher in Giresun for two years, he graduated from Ankara Gazi Institute of Education, Department of French Language (1945). He worked as a teacher at secondary schools in Zonguldak, Samsun and Kırşehir (1945-55). He worked as a translator at the publication office of the General Directorate of the Agricultural Bank (1956-69), and then, he was retired and lived in Bodrum.
His first poems were published in the review Uyanış
of the Manisa People's House (1935). The same year, he published his first
book. He published his works in the reviews Servetifünun-Uyanış, Ses, Yığın,
Yeryüzü, Kaynak, Yeditepe (1940-50) until 1955. Later, he wrote in the line
of the Second New movement, and developed his poetry in this axis.
He highlighted the meaning, rather than sound
and melody, in his poem, and wrote poems of closed meaning. However, he was
investigated after his book Günaydın Yeryüzü (Good morning Earth, 1953)
with the Article 142 of the Penal Code. According to Berk, "Eroticism is
the artery of poetry."
He collected the Turkish Language Association
Poetry Award in 1979 with his book Kül (Ash, 1978), the Behçet Necatigil
Poetry Award in 1980 with İstanbul Kitabı (the Book of İstanbul), the
Yeditepe Poetry Prize in 1983 with Deniz Eskisi (The Old of Sea, 1982)
and shared the Simavi Foundation Literature Award with Ferit Edgü with his book
Güzel Irmak (The Beautiful River, 1988).
WORKS:
POETRY: Güneşi Yakanların Selamı
(Salute of Those Burning the Sun, 1935), İstanbul (İstanbul, 1947), Günaydın
Yeryüzü (Good Morning Earth, 1952), Türkiye Şarkısı (The Song of
Turkey, 1953), Köroğlu (Köroğlu, 1955), Galile Denizi (The Sea of
Galileo, 1958), Çivi Yazısı (The Cuneiform Writing, 1960), Otağ (The Royal Tent, 1961), Mısırkalyoniğne
(Corn-galley-needle, 1962), Aşıkane (Loverly, 1968), Şenlikname (The
Letter of Joy, 1972), Şiirler (Poems, 1975), Taş Baskısı
(Lithograph, 1975), Atlas (Atlas, 1975, 87), Kül (Ash, 1978), İstanbul
Kitabı (The Book of İstanbul, 1979), Kitaplar Kitabı (Book of the
Books, 1981), Şifalı Otlar Kitabı (The Books of Healing Plants, 1982), Deniz
Eskisi (The Old of Sea, published with Şiirin Gizli Tarihi-The
Exclusive History of Poetry, 1982), Günaydın Yeryüzü (Good Morning
Earth, 1982), Galata (Galata, 1983), Delta ve Çocuk (The Delta
and the Child, 1984), Güzel Irmak (The Beautiful River, published with Şairin
Kanı-Blood of the Poet, 1988), Pera (Pera, 1990), Dün Dağlarda Dolaştım
Evde Yoktum (Yesterday I Traveled on the Mountains, I was not Home, 1993), Şeyler
Kitabı (Book of Things, poems in prose, 1997), Avluya Düşen Gölge
(The Shadow Falling upon the Courtyard, 1998), Çok Yaşasın Sayılar (Long
Live Numbers, 1998), Kült Kitap (The Cult Book, 1999), Şeyler
(Things, 2002).
ANTHOLOGY:
Başlangıcından Bugüne Beyit Mısra Antolojisi (The Anthology of Couplet Line
from the Beginning until Present, 1960), A. Rimbaud'un Seçme Şiirleri
(Selected Poems of A. Rimbaud, 1982), Aşk Şiirleri (Poems of Love,
1965), Dünya Edebiyatından Aşk Şiirleri (Poems of Love from World
Literature, 1968), Dünya Şiiri (The World Poetry, 1969).
AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Bir Uzun Adam (A Tall
Man, 1982).
JOURNAL: El Yazılarına Vuruyor Güneş:
1955-1990 (The Sun is Reflected upon Your Manuscritps, 1983; expanded
edition, 1992), İnferno (Inferno, 1995).
ESSAY: Şiirin Açık
Tarihi (The Open History of Poetry, 1984), Şairin Toprağı (The Land
of Poet, 1992), Logos (Logos, 1996), Poetika (Poetics, 1997).
INTERVIEW: Kanatlı At (The
Horse with Wings, 1994).
Besides, he translated poems.
The Yapı Kredi
Publications has published his collected poems: Kült Kitap (The Cult Book), Eşik (The
Threshold), Aşk Tahtı (The Throne of Love), Akşama Doğru (Towards the Evening).
