Yunus Emre: The Sufi Poet in Love

by zekeriya Baskel

Overview

Offering an authoritative and yet accessible analysis of the poetry of Yunus Emre, this book presents a comprehensive understanding of his poetry as well as the immense influence this important 13^th century saint-poet has had in the Sufi tradition, from his own day until the present. Many of the poems of Yunus Emre portray the experiences and adventures of humankind on the way to becoming perfect human beings in their journey to the Beloved.

The ardent, deceptively, simple, yet powerful expressions of love and the musicality of the poetry of Yunus Emre resonate through the ages and transcend the boundaries of time and place. His poetry is attractive both to those who are familiar with Sufi tradition and to those who are not. This is the strength and beauty of this poetry, and on the poet's part, this might be something that was intentionally constructed to attract more readers/listeners, and to bring the ideas to a broader audience.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781935295051
Publisher:	Blue Dome Press
Publication date:	04/16/2010
Pages:	182
Product dimensions:	6.11(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.60(d)

Table of Contents

Foreword vii

Introduction xi

Note on Transliteration xiv

Acknowledgments xv

Chapter 1 The Age in Which Yunus Emre Lived and His Place in the Sufi Tradition of His Time 1

The Social Context of the 13^th and 14^th Centuries 3

An Overview of the Seljukid Period 4

An Introductory Overview of Sufism 15

The Brotherhoods with Which Yunus Emre can be Associated 22

The Bektashi Order 22

The Malami-Qalandari Order 30

Yunus Emre's Relationship with Rumi 36

Chapter 2 An Analysis of Yunus Emre's Poetry 47

The Didactic Function of Sufi Poetry in the 13^th and 14^th Centuries 49

Thematic Classification of the Poetry of Yunus Emre 56

An Analysis of the Poems of Yunus Emre 67

The Language of Yunus Emre 77

Chapter 3 Reception of Yunus Emre 81

Reception Theory/Reader Response Criticism 83

Reception and Impact of Yunus Emre in the Ottoman Period 90

Parallel Poems 98

Commentaries 105

Music 110

Reception of Yunus Emre in the Modern Period (1918-today) 113

The Nationalist Mode of Interpretation 113

The Heterodox Mode of Interpretation 121

Humanist Mode of Interpretation 129

Individual Interpretations 132

Conclusion 143

A Selection of Poems from Yunus Emre's Divan 147

Appendixes 159

Notes 165

Select Bibliography 189

Index 199