Two Basic Issues of Classical Turkish Poetry from the Perspective of Orientalists: Authenticity and Sexuality

Serkan Derin

Makale detayları

Two Basic Issues of Classical Turkish Poetry from the Perspective of Orientalists: Authenticity and Sexuality

Yazarlar:

Serkan Derin

Yayıncı:

Ataturk University

Ana Başlıklar:

Osmanlı Sahası Klasik Türk Edebiyatı

Dergi:

Turcology Research Issue 83, pp.217-230

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

5/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001340709

pISSN:

2822-2725

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 This study addresses two key themesauthenticity and sexualitythat prominently feature in Western Orientalist interpretations of classical Turkish literature. The material for the study consists of literary histories authored by Dora dIstria, Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall, Elias John Wilkinson Gibb, and Alessio Bombaci. The article begins by discussing the relationship between Orientalism and literary historiography and briefly outlines Western perceptions of the Turks and Turkish literature. A close examination of Western texts and approaches reveals that there was no singular or fixed idea of the East, but rather a multi-layered perception that varied over time and according to specific conditions. This variability is also reflected in how Turkish literature has been evaluated. The question of authenticity is tied to claims that divan poetry was shaped under the strong influence of Persian literature and was thus the product of an imitative process. Orientalist authors have generally treated Ottoman poetry as an extension of Persian verse, tending to search for local or national elements in texts as indicators of originality. The theme of sexuality, on the other hand, centers on the portrayal of the beloved in divan poetry. While some Orientalists interpreted the beloved as a symbol of ideal beauty, others argued that the beloved was male and represented a form of homosexual love. The study argues that Western Orientalists typically adopt Western-centric aesthetic values and scholarly norms as benchmarks in their evaluations, which often leads to an interpretation of Ottoman poetry that is disconnected from its historical and cultural context. As a result, their views on authenticity and the portrayal of the beloved reflect their own cultural assumptions rather than fully revealing the unique aesthetic world of divan poetry. However, the aim of this article is not to claim defensively that classical Turkish poetry is entirely composed of original works or that the beloved is necessarily a real woman. Rather, it seeks to contribute to literary historiography through a critical lens.

 This study addresses two key themesauthenticity and sexualitythat prominently feature in Western Orientalist interpretations of classical Turkish literature. The material for the study consists of literary histories authored by Dora dIstria, Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall, Elias John Wilkinson Gibb, and Alessio Bombaci. The article begins by discussing the relationship between Orientalism and literary historiography and briefly outlines Western perceptions of the Turks and Turkish literature. A close examination of Western texts and approaches reveals that there was no singular or fixed idea of the East, but rather a multi-layered perception that varied over time and according to specific conditions. This variability is also reflected in how Turkish literature has been evaluated. The question of authenticity is tied to claims that divan poetry was shaped under the strong influence of Persian literature and was thus the product of an imitative process. Orientalist authors have generally treated Ottoman poetry as an extension of Persian verse, tending to search for local or national elements in texts as indicators of originality. The theme of sexuality, on the other hand, centers on the portrayal of the beloved in divan poetry. While some Orientalists interpreted the beloved as a symbol of ideal beauty, others argued that the beloved was male and represented a form of homosexual love. The study argues that Western Orientalists typically adopt Western-centric aesthetic values and scholarly norms as benchmarks in their evaluations, which often leads to an interpretation of Ottoman poetry that is disconnected from its historical and cultural context. As a result, their views on authenticity and the portrayal of the beloved reflect their own cultural assumptions rather than fully revealing the unique aesthetic world of divan poetry. However, the aim of this article is not to claim defensively that classical Turkish poetry is entirely composed of original works or that the beloved is necessarily a real woman. Rather, it seeks to contribute to literary historiography through a critical lens.

 This study addresses two key themesauthenticity and sexualitythat prominently feature in Western Orientalist interpretations of classical Turkish literature. The material for the study consists of literary histories authored by Dora dIstria, Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall, Elias John Wilkinson Gibb, and Alessio Bombaci. The article begins by discussing the relationship between Orientalism and literary historiography and briefly outlines Western perceptions of the Turks and Turkish literature. A close examination of Western texts and approaches reveals that there was no singular or fixed idea of the East, but rather a multi-layered perception that varied over time and according to specific conditions. This variability is also reflected in how Turkish literature has been evaluated. The question of authenticity is tied to claims that divan poetry was shaped under the strong influence of Persian literature and was thus the product of an imitative process. Orientalist authors have generally treated Ottoman poetry as an extension of Persian verse, tending to search for local or national elements in texts as indicators of originality. The theme of sexuality, on the other hand, centers on the portrayal of the beloved in divan poetry. While some Orientalists interpreted the beloved as a symbol of ideal beauty, others argued that the beloved was male and represented a form of homosexual love. The study argues that Western Orientalists typically adopt Western-centric aesthetic values and scholarly norms as benchmarks in their evaluations, which often leads to an interpretation of Ottoman poetry that is disconnected from its historical and cultural context. As a result, their views on authenticity and the portrayal of the beloved reflect their own cultural assumptions rather than fully revealing the unique aesthetic world of divan poetry. However, the aim of this article is not to claim defensively that classical Turkish poetry is entirely composed of original works or that the beloved is necessarily a real woman. Rather, it seeks to contribute to literary historiography through a critical lens.

 Bu çalışma, Batılı oryantalistlerin klasik Türk edebiyatına yönelik değerlendirmelerinde öne çıkan iki temel konuyuözgünlük ve cinsellikele almaktadır. Çalışmanın materyalini Dora dIstria, Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall, Elias John Wilkinson Gibb ve Alessio Bombaci tarafından kaleme alınmış edebiyat tarihleri oluşturmaktadır. Makalede öncelikle oryantalizm ile edebiyat tarihi yazımı arasındaki ilişki tartışılmış, bu bağlamda Batı dünyasının Türkler ve Türk edebiyatı hakkındaki algıları özetlenmiştir. Batı kaynaklı metin ve yaklaşımlar incelendiğinde, Doğuya ilişkin tekil ve değişmez bir görüşten ziyade, zamana ve koşullara göre şekillenen çok katmanlı bir algının var olduğu görülmektedir. Bu durum, Türk edebiyatına dair değerlendirmelere de yansımıştır. Özgünlük konusu, divan şiirinin Fars edebiyatının güçlü etkisi altında şekillendiği ve bu nedenle taklide dayalı bir üretim süreci olduğu yönündeki iddialarla ilişkilidir. Oryantalist yazarlar, Osmanlı şiirini genellikle Fars şiirinin bir uzantısı olarak değerlendirme ve bu etkinin gölgesinde kalan metinlerde özgünlük göstergesi olarak yerel ya da millî unsurları arama eğilimindedir. Cinsellik teması ise, divan şiirindeki sevgili imgesine odaklanmaktadır. Sevgilinin cinsiyeti ve tasviri, bazı Oryantalistler tarafından ideal güzelliğin simgesi olarak görülürken, bazıları tarafından ise sevgilinin erkek olduğu ve bunun eşcinsel bir aşkı temsil ettiği şeklinde yorumlanmıştır. Bu çalışma, Batılı Oryantalistlerin klasik Türk şiirini değerlendirirken çoğunlukla Batı merkezli estetik ve bilimsel normları ölçüt olarak benimsediklerini ve bu yaklaşımın Osmanlı şiirinin tarihsel ve kültürel bağlamdan kopuk bir biçimde ele alınmasına yol açtığını öne sürmektedir. Sonuç olarak, özgünlük ve sevgili tasvirine dair yorumların, Oryantalistlerin kendi kültürel önkabullerini yansıttığı ve divan şiirinin kendine özgü estetik dünyasını tam anlamıyla ortaya koyamadığı vurgulanmaktadır. Ancak bu çalışma, klasik Türk şiirinin tümüyle özgün metinlerden oluştuğunu veya divan şiirindeki sevgilinin gerçek bir kadın olduğunu savunma amacı taşımaz. Asıl amaç, edebiyat tarihine katkıda bulunacak eleştirel bir perspektif sunmaktır.

Makale detayları

Two Basic Issues of Classical Turkish Poetry from the Perspective of Orientalists: Authenticity and Sexuality

Yazarlar:

Serkan Derin

Yayıncı:

Ataturk University

Ana Başlıklar:

Osmanlı Sahası Klasik Türk Edebiyatı

Dergi:

Turcology Research Issue 83, pp.217-230

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

5/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001340709

pISSN:

2822-2725

Divan poetry

orientalism

authenticity

historiography

Ottoman poetry

sexualityDivan şiiri

oryantalizm

orijinallik

tarihyazımı

Osmanlı şiiri

cinsellik

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Serkan Derin

Yayıncı: Ataturk University

Ana Başlıklar: Osmanlı Sahası Klasik Türk Edebiyatı

Dergi: Turcology Research Issue 83, pp.217-230

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 5/2025

Belge Dili: Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.): 2001340709

pISSN: 2822-2725

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Serkan Derin

Yayıncı:

Ataturk University

Ana Başlıklar:

Osmanlı Sahası Klasik Türk Edebiyatı

Dergi:

Turcology Research Issue 83, pp.217-230

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

5/2025

Belge Dili:

Türkçe

Document ID (Org No.):

2001340709

pISSN:

2822-2725