ISTANBUL AND THE INTERSECTION OF THE INFLUENCES OF NEDОM AND BAUDELAIRE IN YAHYA KEMAL’S POETRY
ISTANBUL ET L’INTERSECTION DE L’INFLUENCE DE NEDÎM ET DE BAUDELAIRE DANS LA POÉSIE DE YAHYA KEMAL

Summary/Abstract: This article intends to look at the way different influences come together in the construction of Turkish poet Yahya Kemal’s poetry. While psychological and cultural factors intersect in the making of this poetry, two influences seem to be major, the influence of a famous Ottoman poet of the 18th century, Nedîm and that of the founder of modern western poetry, Baudelaire. Yahya Kemal witnesses the death of his mother while he is 13 years old, the fall of his native city as well as the loss of other territories of the Ottoman empire during the Balkan Wars. Poetry will give him the opportunity to conterbalance his losses. The image of Istanbul will be the point of intersection of different influences, and of psychological and cultural factors. Using this image, Yahya Kemal will create a symbolic revival of all of his losses.

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