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Yahya Kemal Beyatlı, born ''Ahmet Âgâh'' (2 December 1884 – 1 November 1958), generally known by the pen name ''Yahya Kemal'', was a leading Turkish poet and author, as well as a politician and diplomat.


Early life and education

Yahya Kemal was born Ahmet Âgâh on 2 December 1884, in
Skopje Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre. The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; r ...
, then in the Kosovo Vilayet of the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
. He wrote under
pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...
s such as Agâh Kemal, Esrar, Mehmet Agâh, and Süleyman Sadi. He came from a prominent family, whose roots could be traced back to the Ottoman court, and he was educated at various private schools. He was a graduate of
Vefa High School Vefa High School ( tr, Vefa Lisesi), is one of the oldest and internationally renowned high school of Turkey. The first ''mülkiye lisesi'' (non-military high school) training in Turkish language was Vefa Lisesi (established in 1872) which forming ...
, Istanbul. As he was about to start his higher education, severe disagreements between his parents kept him away from school for some time. When he tried to return to school, he was turned away because it was too late into the semester. His absence from school coincided with the oppressive regime of
Abdülhamit II Abdülhamid or Abdul Hamid II ( ota, عبد الحميد ثانی, Abd ül-Hamid-i Sani; tr, II. Abdülhamid; 21 September 1842 10 February 1918) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 31 August 1876 to 27 April 1909, and the last sultan to ...
(reigned 1876–1909), and Yahya Kemal got involved in various anti-regime movements. To avoid getting arrested, he went to
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
in 1903. During his time abroad, he met other exiled Turkish intellectuals, politicians and writers. He traveled extensively in Europe, and was exposed to various cultures.


Literary career

While in Paris, Yahya Kemal developed a fondness for literature and was influenced by the French romantic movement. He eventually decided that he wanted to write poetry, and he first studied the historical works of the French Parnasse poets. Consequently, he sought out a way to revitalize Turkish
Divan poetry In Islamic cultures of the Middle East, North Africa, Sicily and South Asia, a Diwan ( fa, دیوان, ''divân'', ar, ديوان, ''dīwān'') is a collection of poems by one author, usually excluding his or her long poems ( mathnawī). The ...
in order to create smooth and pure poetic lines. Yahya Kemal's poetry is influenced by music, because he composed with concepts borrowed from Turkish music. While explaining the inner rhythm of the poetic language, he used musical terms such as Tınnet, which denoted the musical value of the sounds or words that pace a line of poetry. For Yahya Kemal this was the only method for creating internal harmony. He states, "Poetry is akin to music. Poetry is not made of couplets, but poetry is melody." For the most part, he was consistent and practiced what he preached; in his poetry, music and meaning go hand-in-hand. The central thought that runs through his poems and prose is that the Turkish nation is fashioned with the sweat and tears of the heartland. Even his love poems featured stylized historical and cultural values. Another peculiarity that can be perceived in Yahya Kemal's poetry is the almost feminine sensibility that he displayed towards
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
. His explanation for this is that his father spent very little time with him, and that his first lessons in religion came from long hours spent talking with his mother. Yahya Kemal grew up in a household where hymns and chants were sung, where values of the past were kept alive, hence in his poems he used religion and esthetics together. Writing about the loss of Ottoman lands like
Salonica Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...
,
Manastır Bitola (; mk, Битола ) is a city in the southwestern part of North Macedonia. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba, Nidže, and Kajmakčalan mountain ranges, north of the Medžitlija-Níki ...
,
Üsküp Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre. The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; r ...
and
Prishtina Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians and ...
he wrote:
When I pass my youth in Balkan towns I felt a yearning with every breath I took. Byron's sad melancholy rules my heart then. In youth's daydreams I roamed the mountains Breathed the free air of Rakofça's fields. I felt the passion of my raiding ancestors Every summer, for centuries, a run to the North That has left a thundering echo in my breast. While the army was in defeat, the whole country in mourning A conqueror's thought entered my dreams every night Feelings of melancholy, a sad remnant of the flight."
When he returned to Istanbul in 1912, Yahya Kemal was already known as a master poet, and the change of regime in the country provided him with opportunities in various high-level governmental positions. By 1915, he came to know
Halide Edib Adıvar Halide Edib Adıvar ( ota, خالده اديب , sometimes spelled Halidé Edib in English; 11 June 1884 – 9 January 1964) was a Turkish novelist, teacher, ultranationalist and feminist intellectual. She was best known for her novels critici ...
as well as
Yusuf Akçura Yusuf Akçura ( tt-Cyrl, Йосыф Акчура; 2 December 1876 – 11 March 1935) was a prominent Turkish politician, writer and ideologist of ethnic Tatar origin. He developed into a prominent ideologue and advocate of Pan-Turkism during the ...
, both renowned Turkish authors. In the same year, he also worked closely together with
Ziya Gökalp Mehmet Ziya Gökalp (23 March 1876 – 25 October 1924) was a Turkish sociologist, writer, poet, and politician. After the 1908 Young Turk Revolution that reinstated constitutionalism in the Ottoman Empire, he adopted the pen name Gökalp ("cel ...
at the
Istanbul University , image = Istanbul_University_logo.svg , image_size = 200px , latin_name = Universitas Istanbulensis , motto = tr, Tarihten Geleceğe Bilim Köprüsü , mottoeng = Science Bridge from Past to the Future , established = 1453 1846 1933 ...
, where he was nominated a professor for the History of Western Literature upon the recommendation of Gökalp. Yahya Kemal founded a literary magazine, '' Dergâh'', in 1921 together with another significant figure
Ahmet Haşim Ahmet Haşim (also written as Ahmed Hâşim; 1884? – 4 June 1933) was an influential Turkish poet of the early 20th century. Biography Ahmed Hâşim was born in Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Ira ...
.


Political career

After the foundation of Turkey, Yahya Kemal became a member of parliament for the provinces of
Urfa Urfa, officially known as Şanlıurfa () and in ancient times as Edessa, is a city in southeastern Turkey and the capital of Şanlıurfa Province. Urfa is situated on a plain about 80 km east of the Euphrates River. Its climate features e ...
(1923–1926),
Yozgat Yozgat is a city and the capital district of Yozgat Province in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. According to 2019 census, population of the district is 421,200 of which 106,280 live in the city of Yozgat. History The first surveys were s ...
(1934),
Tekirdağ Tekirdağ (; see also its other names) is a city in Turkey. It is located on the north coast of the Sea of Marmara, in the region of East Thrace. In 2019 the city's population was 204,001. Tekirdağ town is a commercial centre with a harbour ...
and Istanbul (1943). After the
Surname Law Surname law can refer to any law regulating the use of surnames. Canada From 1941 to 1978, the Government of Canada issued disc numbers to identify Inuit in their records. In the mid-1960s Project Surname began, and, headed by Abe Okpik, Inuit ...
came into effect in 1934, he adopted the surname "Beyatlı". In 1926, he was appointed ambassador to
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
, where he remained until 1929. He was ambassador to
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
between 1930 and 1932, also acting as
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary An envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, usually known as a minister, was a diplomatic head of mission who was ranked below ambassador. A diplomatic mission headed by an envoy was known as a legation rather than an embassy. Under the ...
in
Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
. In 1947, he was appointed as the first Turkish ambassador to
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
.


Illness and death

While in Pakistan, Yahya Kemal's health got progressively worse, and he returned to Turkey in 1949. His medical condition was never properly diagnosed and his health was never fully restored. He died on 1 November 1958, in Istanbul, and was buried in the
Aşiyan Asri Cemetery The Aşiyan Asri Cemetery ( tr, Aşiyan Asri Mezarlığı) is a burial ground situated on Aşiyan between the Bebek, Istanbul, Bebek and Rumelihisarı neighborhoods of the European part of Istanbul, Turkey. Many renowned intellectuals, writers an ...
.


Works

;Prose: * ''Aziz İstanbul'' (1964) * ''Eğil Dağlar'' (1966) * ''Siyasi Hikayeler'' (1968) * ''Siyasi ve Edebi Portreler'' (1968) * ''Edebiyata Dair'' (1971) * ''Tarih Müsahabeleri'' (1975) * ''Bitmemiş Şiirler'' (1976) ;Memoirs: * ''Çocukluğum, Gençliğim, Siyasi ve Edebi Hatıralarım'' (1973) ;Translations into English: * ''Selected Poems of Yahya Kemal.'' Trans. S. Behlül Toygar. Istanbul, 1962 (2nd ed., 1965).


See also

*
List of contemporary Turkish poets This list includes the notable Turkish poets. *Ahmet Emin Atasoy (1944-) *Behçet Aysan (1949-1993) *Yahya Kemal Beyatlı (1884–1958) * Asım Bezirci (1927-1993) * Ahmet Haşim (1885–1933) *Faruk Nafiz Çamlıbel (1898–1973) *Nazım Hikmet ...


References


External links


Yahya Kemal Beyatlı - ''On his life and poetry''
* Who is who database
''Biography of Yahya Kemal Beyatlı''
* Biyografi.net
''Biography of Yahya Kemal Beyatlı''
* Tanzimat’tan Bugüne Edebiyatçılar Ansiklopedisi {{DEFAULTSORT:Beyatli, Yahya Kemal 1884 births 1958 deaths Writers from Skopje People from Kosovo vilayet Macedonian Turks Republican People's Party (Turkey) politicians Deputies of Şanlıurfa Deputies of Yozgat Deputies of Tekirdağ Deputies of Istanbul 20th-century poets from the Ottoman Empire 20th-century Turkish poets Ambassadors of Turkey to Spain Ambassadors of Turkey to Pakistan Vefa High School alumni Burials at Aşiyan Asri Cemetery Male poets from the Ottoman Empire Turkish male poets Turkish magazine founders