The Gök-Turks, who founded a state in "Otüken", recounted in written form in the "Orhun Monumental Inscriptions", the adventures and ordeals met by them. These monuments are among the first works bearing historical information. they are the "Tonyukuk", "Kültügin" and "Bilge Kaghan" inscriptions. The first one was written in 720, by the order of Tonyukuk the Wise. The other two inscriptions were written by the order of Yulugh Tigin, a Turkish historian.
2- Turkish Literatute after the Adoption of islam :
- Mysstic Literature came from the Moslem influence on Turkish Literature. Although the early cultural effects were seen among the intellecttual class, mystic literature developed in dervish religious retreats and attrached the interest of the ordinary people. Consequently, medreses teaching Islamic Law, and the interpretation of religion,
"hadis" ( Mohammed's maxims ) and religious retreats representing free thought spread throughout the country.
Ahmet Yesevi was considered the first mystic poet. The most famous poets of religious retreat literature were Pir Sultan Abdal, Yunus Emre, Hacı Bayram and Eşrefoğlu Rumi. Yunus Emre, who live in the 13th centur expressed deep contemplation and exaltation in his poems written in syllabic verse, while using clear Turkish.
-Folk Literature :
Turkish literature widely changed in the first centuries after the adoption of ıslam, especially until the end of the 13th century. A change can also be observed in folk literature. The epic tradition of the pre-Islamic period has continued and some epics created under new effects have come down to the present day. One of the most significant of them is "Manas". "Köroğlu" and the "Dede Korkut Tales" having some characteristics of the epic were composed in the 14th century. The best permanent works of literature are the poems in the "mani", "koşma", "türkü", "destan", and "varsağı" forms and they were sung while accompanied by the instruments called the
"kopuz" and "çöğür".
Development continued in the 18th and 19th centuries, but the influence of Divan literature representatives of Divan
literature sometimes wrote poems in the "türkü" style, under the influence of folk literature.
3- Turkish Literature under the Influence of Western Literature:
At the beginning of the 19th century, Turkish literature began to be influenced by western literature, western literary forms and western language.
At the of the19th century and the beginning of the 20th century nationalisation movements began to be successful in language.
Some western literary forms to be used with the addition of certain national qualities and these forms have existed until today.
Turkish literature under western influence may be examined in four parts:
The Post-Tanzimat period, the Servet-i Fünun literature, the National School of Literature and Contemporary literature.
-The Post-Tanzimat Literature:
The first reform movement in Turkish literature was in prose with the help of Şinasi, Namık Kemal and Ziya Pasha. Even though they were opposed to the old prose styly they could not go far afield from the old attitude in their works.
-Servet-i Fünun Literature:
The second big attempt at western style Turkish Literature was started in 1895 by a group of young writers who were associated with the "Servet-i Fünun" magazine.
French literature had an effect on the literature of this period.
The most important representatives Servet-i Fünun, which was also called" edebiyat-ı Cedide" ( New Literature ), were was Tevfik Fikret in poetry and Halit Ziya in the novel. There fore, this movement is sometimes called the "Fikret-Ziya School".
Mehmet Akif Ersoy demonstrated that prosodical metre was suitable to be used in the Turkish language in poems.
One of the poets of this era, Yahya kemal who introduced new techniques to prosidical metre brought Neoclassicism into poetry.
Ahmet Haşim was also successful in writing poems in prosodical metre.
In the period of the National School of Literature, various literary forms were attempted such as the novel, the article and the editorial.
- Contemporary Literature:
Today important works in essay, travel and research forms may be observed, and there is some important work going on in folk literature. Today, there are some folk poets in the classical tradition. The tradition of singing-folk poets accompanied by lute became an event for festivals or ceremonies. Aşık Veysel and
Ali İzzet were the last examples of such folk poets.
Cahit Sıkkı Tarancı and Ziya osman Saba, who lived during the period of the Second World War and the following years, reflected the joy of life in their poems.
Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar Ahmet Muhip Dranas and Necip Fazıl Kısakürek have become famous for their poems with some elements of symbolism.
The significant poets of the recent period are :
Ahmet Kutsi Tecer, Asaf Halet Çelebi, Fazıl Hüsnü Dağlarca, Behçet Necatigil, Necati Cumalı, Atilla İlhan and Cahit Külebi.
Sait Faik Abasıyanık, with his original views and significant style, opened a new era for Turkish short stories. In the Republican period, the following writers have most successfully contributed to the field of fiction: Abdülhak Şinası Hisar, Peyami Safa, Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar, Orhan Kemal, Yaşar Kemal Tahir, Haldun Taner and Aziz Nesin.
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