Studies on Turkish Literature II

This second volume of Studies on Turkish Literature, compiled as part of Mehmet Kaplan’s three-volume collection of essays, brings together his literary research and critical studies produced between 1939 and 1986.

A student of the pioneering literary historian Fuad Köprülü, Mehmet Kaplan expanded upon his teacher’s methodology by directing greater attention to the literary work itself. While recognizing the importance of historical and social contexts, Kaplan argued that a literary work emerges through a process of selection, transformation, and reconstruction. As a result, the finished work becomes something distinct from the reality or individual elements that produced it and cannot be reduced solely to them. At the same time, he maintained that literature remains an important means of understanding the society and culture from which it arises.

Throughout his long scholarly career, Kaplan consistently examined these two dimensions together. Literary works not only reveal a society’s realities, aspirations, and representative characters, but also possess intrinsic artistic value independent of their social function.

As in the other volumes of the series, this second volume reflects Kaplan’s broad knowledge of Turkish literature and his remarkable analytical skill. His studies encompass a wide range of writers and thinkers, from Mevlana to modern Turkish authors, offering insightful interpretations that view Turkish literature as an interconnected whole.

An essential resource for students, scholars, and readers interested in Turkish literary criticism, the book demonstrates why Mehmet Kaplan remains one of the most influential figures in modern Turkish literary studies.

Author: Prof. Dr. Mehmet Kaplan

Series: Turkish Literature – Literary Studies

Publisher: Dergah Publications

ISBN: 978-975-995-470-3

Dimensions: 16.5 × 23.5 cm

Page Count: 464 pages