About
Orhan Veli Kanık (1914-1950) was a major Turkish poet, co-founder of the Garip movement in 1941 with Oktay Rıfat and Melih Cevdet Anday. The movement revolutionized Turkish poetry by rejecting traditional meter and rhyme in favor of everyday, accessible language. He published several notable collections, including Garip (1941), Vazgeçemediğim (1945), and Karşı (1949). He also founded the literary review Yaprak (1949-1950) and translated La Fontaine's fables into Turkish verse. His work profoundly influenced modern Turkish poetry.
* 1914-04-13 — † 1950-11-14
Major works
- Garip (1941)poetry collection
- Vazgeçemediğim (1945)poetry collection
- Destan Gibi (1946)poetry collection
- Yenisi (1947)poetry collection
- Karşı (1949)poetry collection
Key milestones
- 1941Co-founded the Garip movement with Oktay Rıfat and Melih Cevdet Anday, publishing the collective collection Garip.
- 1949Founded and edited the literary review Yaprak.
- 1950Died in Istanbul on November 14, aged 36, from a brain aneurysm.
Themes
everyday lifesimple languageironysocial critiquemodernity
Sources: britannica.com · id.loc.gov