İlhan Berk (1918–2008) was a poet and translator. His real name was Emrullah İlhan Birsen. He is regarded as one of the leading representatives of the Second New movement in Turkish literature.

Life

İlhan Berk was born in Manisa. His father was Veli Bey and his mother was Hesna Hanım. After his father left the family during his childhood, he was raised by his mother and older brothers. He completed his primary and secondary education in Manisa and later graduated from Balıkesir Necatibey Teacher Training School. He then worked for two years as a primary school teacher in the Espiye district of Giresun.

After graduating from the French Department of Gazi Education Institute, he served as a French teacher in various cities including Zonguldak, Samsun, and Kırşehir such as. Between 1956 and 1969, he worked at the Ankara Publishing Office as a translator and after retirement settled in Bodrum, where he lived until the end of his life.

İlhan Berk - Yeni Şafak

Literary Personality

His earliest poems were published in the journals "Uyanış", "Yeni Doğuş", "Ses", and "Existence". His first book, Güneşi Yakanların Selamı, was published in 1935 when he was 17 years old. In this debut collection, he employed hece meter and explored themes of pessimism, which were dominant in the literature of that era. Subsequently, with his book İstanbul (1947), he produced works aligned with socially engaged poetry. Later, in the 1950s, he joined the Second New movement and began writing innovative and experimental poetry in terms of language and form. With his book Galile Denizi (1958), he became one of the important names associated with the Second New poetry movement.

İlhan Berk distinguished himself through linguistic and formal innovations, breaking away from traditional conventions and making significant contributions to modern Turkish poetry. He enriched his poems with visual imagery, mythological elements, and abstract narratives. By exploiting the limitless possibilities of language, he expanded the boundaries of modernist poetry. In Berk’s poetry, themes of death, eroticism, and nature are intensely explored. Berk argued that poetry is not about meaning but about form itself, defining his poetic approach as “Salt Poetry” and asserting that meaning is not a fundamental element in poetry.

Inci Enginün has said about İlhan Berk: “İlhan Berk, one of the original poets who paved the way for the Second New before it had even been named, is the oldest member of the movement. İlhan Berk, who first published his hece-meter poems in book form in 1935, continuously altered the structure of poetry through experimentation. He shifted from descriptive depictions of everyday life toward a narrative style increasingly approaching prose. Rich allusions, meaningless expressions that evoke a sense of mass, interpretations of Istanbul, a negative view of history, and frequent allusions to sexuality bordering on pornography are among the first impressions drawn from İlhan Berk’s poetry. (...) Throughout his poetic journey, İlhan Berk always sought to be different and never forgot sexuality.”^【1】

In addition to poetry, he produced works in other genres including essays, diaries, translations, and autobiographical narratives. His writings were influenced by authors such as Baudelaire, Arthur Rimbaud, and Ezra Pound, whose poems he translated and published in book form. He was also engaged in painting and held several exhibitions.

İlhan Berk - İzdiham Magazine

Important Works

Poetry collections include: Güneşi Yakanların Selamı (1935), İstanbul (1947), Günaydın Yeryüzü (1952), Türkiye Şarkısı (1953), Köroğlu (1955), Galile Denizi (1958), Çivi Yazısı (1960), Otağ (1961), Mısırkalyoniğne (1962), Âşıkane (1968), Şenlikname (1972), Taşbaskısı (1975), Atlas (1976), Kül (1978), İstanbul Kitabı (1980), Deniz Eskisi (1982), Delta ve Çocuk (1984), Galata (1985), Güzel Irmak (1988), Pera (1990), Dün Dağlarda Dolaştım Evde Yoktun (1993), Avluya Düşen Gölge (1996), Şeyler Kitabı (1997), and Çok Yaşasın Sayılar (1998), Eşik (Collected Poems 1947–1975, 1999), Aşk Tahtı (Collected Poems 1976–1982, 1999), Akşama Doğru (Collected Poems 1984–2005), Tümceler Geliyorum (2007).

Works in other genres include: Şifalı Otlar Kitabı (1982), Uzun Bir Adam (1982), Kanatlı At (1994), Inferno (1994), El Yazılarına Vuruyor Güneş (1997), Logos (1996), and Poetika (1997).

Translations include: Arthur Rimbaud’dan Seçme Şiirler (1962), Dünya Edebiyatından Aşk Şiirleri (1968), Dünya Şiiri ve Ezra Pound: Seçme Kantolar (1969), and Asılı Eros (1996).

Awards

Throughout his literary career, he received numerous awards:

• 1979: Turkish Language Association Poetry Award (Kül)
• 1980: Behçet Necatigil Poetry Award (İstanbul Kitabı)
• 1983: Yeditepe Poetry Prize (Deniz Eskisi)
• 1988: Simavi Foundation Literature Award (Güzel Irmak)

Death

İlhan Berk died on 28 August 2008 at the age of 89 in Bodrum and was buried in Bodrum Tomb Cemetery. He holds a significant place in literary history as one of the pioneering figures of modern Turkish poetry and the Second New movement.