Mehmet Akif Ersoy's Understanding of Poetry

Mehmet Akif Ersoy (1873–1936) emerged as a poet deeply committed to social responsibility, particularly active during the Second Constitutional Era and the National Struggle years in Turkish literature. His poetry was shaped not by individual emotions but by a focus on societal issues, aiming to educate the public, raise awareness, and sustain moral values.

In his artistic philosophy, the principle that “art exists for society” was fundamental. He emphasized themes such as Islamic values, ethics, poverty, ignorance, societal disintegration in the face of the West, and the ideal of liberation. For Ersoy, poetry transcended mere aesthetic objecthood and functioned as an intellectual and social tool. He closely observed the social and political atmosphere of his time and composed his poems in clear, simple language accessible to the masses. Although he did not depart formally from classical poetic conventions, he adopted a modern and realistic style in content. Religious texts, especially the Qur’an, and particularly Surah Al-Shu’ara, served as key reference points in shaping his poetic vision.

Mehmet Akif Ersoy (Encyclopedia of Islam)

His Language and Style

Mehmet Akif Ersoy’s poetic language is simpler, more direct, and more natural compared to the literary norms of his time. He prioritized clarity of meaning over ornate expression. This preference stemmed from his view of poetry as a vehicle for instruction and guidance. Consequently, his language served the function of educating and enlightening the public.

His literary approach favored the spoken language. Although his poems occasionally include Arabic and Persian-derived words, their usage is more limited and controlled than in the literary circles of his era. He frequently incorporated expressions reflecting popular speech, integrating proverbs, idioms, and common vernacular phrases naturally into his texts. In this respect, Akif’s poetic language avoids literary elitism and is openly oriented toward direct communication with the people.

Stylistically, Mehmet Akif’s poetry exhibits a pronounced rhetorical structure. The didactic tone, addressive style, and instructive discourse dominate. He frequently employed direct address, question-and-answer techniques, comparisons, and narrative anecdotes to convey his ideas effectively. This style reflects his influence by the sermon tradition and khutbah language. His use of dramatic narration and dialogue adds a compelling and thought-provoking dimension to his poetry.

Realism occupies a prominent place in Akif’s style. He sought to evoke credibility and sincerity in readers by incorporating observations drawn from within society, everyday life, and lived experiences. To this end, he often employed the technique of poetic narrative, enriching his poems with plot, character, and environmental descriptions. This approach is systematically evident in his work Safahat.

Mehmet Akif Ersoy’s language and style were built not on the aesthetic priorities of his artistic circles but on a functional approach aimed at direct and effective communication with the people. This approach reflects the moral, social, and religious concerns at the core of his poetic vision.

Key Themes in His Poetry

The central themes in Mehmet Âkif Ersoy’s poetry focus largely on the social, political, and moral issues of the late Ottoman period. He positioned poetry as an instrument of ideas and struggle, placing societal concerns above individual emotions. Major recurring themes in his work include ethics, religion, the fight against ignorance, poverty, justice, freedom, civilization, national consciousness, and the challenge of Westernization.

Ersoy frequently highlighted the spiritual decline and loss of values in society, arguing that salvation could only come through a return to moral and religious values. Islamic faith was not merely a path to individual redemption but the foundational pillar of social order. His poetry stressed the need to understand and live Islam authentically, free from blind imitation. During the National Struggle, he prominently addressed themes such as love of homeland, the desire for independence, and sacrifice. These poems emphasized the necessity of national unity and conveyed a powerful spirit of resistance against despair and surrender. His poem İstiklâl Marşı is the most concrete embodiment of this outlook.

Social injustice, destitution, and ignorance were among the issues Akif consistently addressed. He repeatedly underscored the responsibility of rulers toward the people and the necessity of educating and empowering the public. In this context, his poetry often carried a critical social dimension. His attitude toward Western civilization was dualistic: while he praised its technological and scientific achievements, he warned against moral corruption and cultural disintegration. He advocated for development aligned with Islamic civilization rather than mere imitation.

Mehmet Akif’s poetry also examines the relationships between the individual, society, and the state, the transformation of urban life, the shortcomings of the education system, and cultural decay. This multifaceted thematic universe has rendered his works both historical documents of his era and intellectual guides.

Two Poems by Mehmed Akif Written in the Calligraphy of Tâhirülmevlevî (Encyclopedia of Islam)

Influences and Poetic Predecessors

Although Mehmet Akif Ersoy developed a unique poetic vision, his work was shaped by the literary, cultural, and political environment of his time and by certain intellectual currents. This process of influence enabled him to forge a distinctive poetics in both form and content. His poetry shows a clear affinity with realism and social thought rather than the aestheticism of the Servet-i Fünun circle.

The most significant intellectual foundation for his poetry is the Islamism movement. This approach, which gained momentum during the reign of Abdulhamid II, sought to unify Ottoman society through a sense of ummah consciousness. Ersoy viewed Islam as the key to both individual and collective salvation, placing Islamic ethics and values at the center of his poetry. In this regard, his work aligns with the intellectual climate of the journals Sırât-ı Müstakîm and Sebîlürreşâd.

Formally, Mehmet Akif preferred classical aruz meter but adapted it to spoken language, developing a distinctive usage. While this places him formally within the tradition of Divan poetry, his content and purpose transcend it. Indirect influences from classical poets such as Fuzûlî, Nabî, and Şeyh Galip can be sensed, but Ersoy did not merely imitate this tradition—he transformed it.

Mehmet Akif was notably influenced by Tanzimat-era poets such as Namık Kemal and Ziya Paşa. Their approach to using literature to educate the public and explore concepts of rights and justice resonated with Ersoy’s own poetic vision. In particular, Namık Kemal’s themes of freedom, homeland, and nation were reinterpreted in Ersoy’s poetry with a stronger religious dimension.

He was also not indifferent to Western literature and thought. He followed the works of Western poets and thinkers such as Victor Hugo and Alphonse de Lamartine, but he did not treat them as direct poetic models. Instead, he engaged with them as intellectual perspectives. Ersoy adopted a selective stance toward the West: he embraced its progress in technology and science while maintaining a critical attitude toward its moral values.