Can Yücel

Can Yücel (; August 21, 1926 – August 12, 1999) was a Turkish poet noted for his use of colloquial language.

Biography

Can Yücel was the son of a former Minister of National Education, Hasan Âli Yücel, who left his mark on the history of education in Turkey, and a grandchild of an Ottoman sea captain who perished with the frigate '' Ertuğrul''. He studied Latin and Ancient Greek at Ankara University and Cambridge. He later worked as a translator at several embassies and in the Turkish language section five years of the BBC in London. After his return to Turkey in 1958, he briefly worked as a tourist guide in Bodrum and Marmaris and then lived in Istanbul, where he worked as a freelance translator and started writing poetry.

Yucel was a poet with a keen political and social awareness. His poetry thrives on a strong combination of lyricism, jovial irony, and sarcasm. Because of his strongly critical poems, he was imprisoned several times. Yucel was certainly one of the most prominent and controversial translators in Turkey. His major poetry collections include Bir Siyasinin Şiirleri (Poems of a Political Prisoner / 1974), Sevgi Duvarı (Wall of Love / 1973), Ölüm ve Oğlum (Death and My Son / 1976), Gökyokuş (Steep Heaven / 1984), Canfeda (Life Offering / 1988), Çok Bi Çocuk (The Child Colors the Man / 1988), Mekânım Datça Olsun (Let Datça Be My Domicile / 1999) and Rengâhenk (Col'armony / 1991).

In his later years, he settled in the remote peninsular town of Datça in southwestern Turkey, where he died of throat cancer. His tomb is much visited. He had two daughters, Güzel and Su, and a son, Hasan, from his marriage to Güler Yücel.

Literary style

Can Yücel was known for using slang and vulgar language in his poems. However, even his critics agreed that his skill in using words in a simple and understandable way is worthy of praise and appreciation. The main themes and inspirational sources in his poems are nature, people, events, concepts, excitements, perceptions, and emotions. His family was of utmost importance to him and his loved ones are mentioned in many of his poems, such as "To my Little Daughter Su," "To Güzel," and "I Loved My Father the Most in Life."

Yücel also translated the works of Shakespeare, Lorca and Brecht into Turkish and his creative rendering of these authors are classics in their own right in Turkey.

; Extract

Oyunbozan bir akşamın altında,
Elinde bir yoyo gibi benliğin,
Senden damlara, damlardan geriye
Bir kadeh tutuştururlar eline derken.

Works

Poetry

* ''Yazma'' (1950)
* ''Her Boydan (Çeviri Siirler)'' ranslations of Poems(1957)
* ''Sevgi Duvari'' all of Love(1974)
* ''Bir Siyasinin Siirleri'' oems of a Politician(1974)
* ''Ölüm ve Oglum'' eath and My Son(1976)
* ''Siir Alayi'' oetry Parade(first four poetry books) (1981)
* ''Rengâhenk'' olorful Harmony(1982)
* ''Gökyokus'' ky Ascend(1984)
* ''Besibiyerde'' ive-in-One(first five poetry books) (1985)
* ''Canfeda'' elf-Sacrifice(1985)
* ''Çok Bi Çocuk'' uite a Kid(1988)
* ''Kisa Devre'' hort Circuit(1990)
* ''Kuzgunun Yavrusu'' he Raven's Offspring(1990)
* ''Gece Vardiyasi'' ight Shift(1991)
* ''Güle Güle - Seslerin Sessizligi'' oodbye - The Silence of Voices(1993)
* ''Gezintiler'' trolls(1994)
* ''Maaile'' amily Together(1995)
* ''Seke Seke'' imping Along(1997)
* ''Alavara'' (1999)
* ''Mekânim Datça Olsun'' et My Place Be Datça(1999)

Translations

* ''Hatirladiklarim'' his I Rememberby Eleanor Roosevelt - Seçilmis Hikâyeler Dergisi - Ankara (1953)
* ''Yeni Türkiye Bir Garp Devleti'' ew Turkey, a Western Stateby Georges Duhamel (1956)
* ''Herboydan: Dünya Siirinden Seçmeler'' erboydan: Selections from World Poetry- Seçilmis Hikâyeler Dergisi (1957)
* ''Anne Frank'in Hatira Defteri'' he Diary of Anne Frankby Anne Frank - Dost Yayinlari - Ankara (1958)
* ''Lord Stratford'un Türkiye Hatiralari'' he Life of Lord Stratford de Redcliffeby Stanley Lane Poole (1959)
* ''Muhtesem Gatsby'' he Great Gatsbyby F. Scott Fitzgerald - Agaoglu Yayinevi (1964)
* ''Lenin Petrograd'da - Sosyalist Akimin Gelismesi'' o the Finland Stationby Edmund Wilson - Agaoglu Yayinevi (1967)
* ''Gerilla Harbi'' uerrilla Warfareby Mao Tse-Tung and Ernesto Che Guevara - Payel (1967)
* ''Küba'da Sosyalizm ve Insan'' ocialism and Man in Cubaby Ernesto Che Guevara - Payel (1967)
* ''Siyah Iktidar'' lack Powerby Stokely Carmichael - Ant Yayinlari (1968)
* ''Salozun Mavali'' he Shadow of the Coachman's Bodyby Peter Weiss - Yöntem Yayinlari (1972)
* ''Yeni Baslayanlar Için Marks'' arx for Beginnersby Rius - Vardiya Yayinlari (1977)
* ''Kafkas Tebesir Dairesi'' he Caucasian Chalk Circleby Bertolt Brecht - Izlem Yayinlari - Istanbul (1980)
* ''Bahar Noktasi'' pring Awakening(A translation of A Midsummer Night's Dream) by Shakespeare - Agaoglu Yayinevi (1981)
* ''Svayk Hitler’e Karsi'' chweik in the Second World Warby Bertolt Brecht - Izlem Yayinlari (1982)
* ''Snoopy - Bir Fistik Kitabi'' noopy - A Peanuts Bookby Charles M. Schulz - Kaktüs (1983)
* ''Hamlet'' by Shakespeare - Papirüs Yayinlari (1996)
* ''Bati Yakasinin Hikâyesi'' est Side Storyby Arthur Laurents - Gözlem Yayincilik (1988)
* ''Kizil Komser'' he Good Soldier Švejkby Jaroslav Hašek - Cem Yayinevi (1991)
* ''Snoopy Kar Korkusu 2'' noopy's Fear of Snow 2by Charles M. Schulz - Papirus Yayinlari (1991)
* ''Firtina'' he Tempestby William Shakespeare - Adam Yayinlari (1991)
* ''Maksat Samimiyet'' ntentionsby Oscar Wilde - Is Bankasi Yayinlari, ISBN 978-605-295509-3 (2018)

References

External links

Selected poems in English
*
A short biographyCan Yücel

Şiirleri - Poems

Şiirleri - Poems

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yucel, Can
1926 births
1999 deaths
Turkish male poets
Turkish former Muslims
Turkish atheism activists
Turkish Marxists
Turkish communists
Writers from Istanbul
Ankara University alumni
Alumni of the University of Cambridge
20th-century Turkish translators
20th-century Turkish poets
Deaths from throat cancer in Turkey