Yahya Kemal Beyatlı in Varlık Magazine

It was Yahya Kemal Beyatlı who gave Turkish poetry its voice at the beginning of the 20th century. One must understand the sensitivity within which he existed in order to comprehend his art. His poetry is one window into life. He was known to work as meticulously as a clockmaker for years on end. It moreover is impossible to disregard the influence that his literary forefathers had had on him when he quilled his own verse. Beyatlı had established contemporary Turkish poetry in following in the footsteps of the Ottoman Divani literary tradition. His poems were published in various magazines such as Âti, İleri, and Dergâh. He was perhaps one the most popular artists of his day. What he brought to Turkish poetry in terms of avant-garde had caught people's attention. He was trailed closely by young wordsmiths. His poems were known to help the circulation of many a magazine/journal. His place as a writer in Varlık Dergisi (Existence Magazine) in particular is indisputable. Established in 1933 by Yaşar Nabi Nayır, Varlık -which still continues to be published to this day- was where Yahya Kemal began writing. This paper examines his writings for Varlık, as well as focuses on why/how he found his way into the magazine by also looking at what others had written about him.