Heredia's Influence on the Poetic Language of Yahya Kemal in Kendi Gök Kubbemiz

Abstract

In Yahya Kemal's Kendi Gök Kubbemiz, it is possible to trace the influence of Jose-Maria de Heredia, one of the leading representatives of the French Parnassus School, in terms of its epic discourse and stylistic features. On the other hand, such an influence is not a superficial imitation; it is more correct to say that Yahya Kemal was able to create his own style through the mediation of Jose-Maria de Heredia. In this context, Yahya Kemal refused the example of "Servet-i Fünun Literature," which blindly imitated "European Culture" by constructing a superficial language only accessible to a certain section of the public. In his verse, Yahya Kemal follows the rules of prosody, creating poems that are rich in sonority and that can be learnt by heart, just like a song or march. Consequently, form or how it is said becomes more important than content or what is said. In terms of its style and content, Yahya Kemal's "pure poetry," which we can call "white poetry," appears to be a synthesis of the old and the new understandings of poetry.