THE THEME OF FREEDOM IN THE POETRY OF ŞINASI ÖZDENOĞLU

Socialist poetry had emerged within contemporary Turkish literature during the 1940s and has maintained presence throughout Modern Turkish history. The first generation of 1940s poets in serving as the voice of people had focused on themes such as citizenship, independence, and injustice. What stands out in particular was/is their particular sensitivity towards writing around the theme of freedom whereby the societal and individual needs of mankind are met without restriction. One such poet to successfully weave the topic of liberty into his work is Şinasi Özdenoğlu. Born in 1922 in the province of Gümüşhane, he as well as his poetry is profoundly influenced by his family and teachers. Freedom adds an intellectual dimension to his work—a dimension that is born out of the idealists around him and of the social and political climate of the era; a dimension in which he feels to be his “one true love” who is worth dying for. This paper takes a brief glimpse at Şinasi Özdenoğlu's life, as well as examines examples of his poetry within the context of his fight for the freedom of his fellow man.