Variety Within Minstrel Literature

A) SYLLABIC VARIETIES

1. Koşma: The commonest form of popular verse. Syllabic measures of 6 + 5 = 11 or 4 + 4 + 3 = 11 may be employed. In terms of subject matter, this may be ‘güzelleme’ in praise of individual or natural beauty, ‘koçaklama’ in praise of heroism, or ‘taşlama’ in criticism of an individual or a community. Poems dealing with mourning are called ‘ağıt.’

2. Semai: Wıth an eight syllable meter along the general lines of the koşma, semai are poems generally accompanied by a melody. They generally consist of at least three and at most five quatrains. The subject matter tends to concern nature, beauty and separation.

3. Varsağı: The varsağı, or varsak in southern Anatolia, is a verse form accompanied by a melody. The number of quatrains ranges from three to five. Similar to the semai in form, it has an eight-syllable measure. There differences are mainly in recitation and melody.

4. Destan: Similar in form to the koşma, destans differ in the numnber of quatrains, subject matter, melody and recitation. They are generally folk poems in which the bards tell of their loves, incidents of heroism, or daily life.

B) PROSODIC VARIETIES

1. Divan: Classical Ottoman court poetry, known as divani in popular verse, distinguished by a particular combination of long and short syllables.

2. Selis: Possesses a different combination of long and short syllables.

It was particularly popular among bards in the 19th century, and is most commonly found in gazel form, a lyric poem of 4-15 couplets, with the first couplet rhyming, and the second lines all rhyming with those of the first couplet.

3. Semai: As well as being found in syallabic form in minstrel literature, semai are also found in prosodic form in divan literature. They possess their own particular prosodic form and are recited with especially composed melodies.

4. Kalenderi

5. Satranç: Again possessing a particular prosodic form.

6. Vezni Aher: Again with its own prosodic form.

Dervish Poetry

This is known as religious or mystical popular verse, and is a form of literature that emerged in the 11th and 12th centuries in which minstrels expressed their love of God and feelings about the hereafter. The most important exponents were Ahmet Yesevi, Yunus Emre, Hacı Bayram-ı Veli etc.

Varieties

1. İlahi: Poems which set out mystical views and ideas, divine wisdom and secrets, yet which bear no distinguishing signs of belonging to any particular religious sect, contenting themselves with praising God, His greatness and power. Generally, written in quatrains or couplets. Quatrains tend to consist of 7, 8 and sometimes 11 syllables. Those in couplet form consist of 11, 14 or 16 syllables. These may also appear in prosodic form.

2. Nefes: İlahi verse written by Alawaite-Bektaşi poets. Subject matter generally consists of the oneness of God, Alawite-Bektaşi principles or sect rules. Similar to koşma in form, they employ a very simple style of Turkish. They are written as quatrains of 7, 8 or 11 syllables, and some prosodic examples exist, although relatively few.

3. Ayin: Peculiar to mystics, and intended for the depiction of various states and movements. The term ayin was first employed by the Persians and then passed into Turkish mystical literature. The ayin was particularly used during assemblies at which dervishes performed their whirling dances.

4. Tapuğ: Poems recited during religious assemblies of the Gülşeni sect.

5. Durak: Employed by most religious sects apart from the dervishes, these are free form poems particularly popular with the Halveti sect, and are recited by one or two readers after the reading of the first part of the holy names of Allah and before moving on to the second part.

6. Cumhur: Divine poems for group recitation in all but Dervish and Bektaşi communities.

7. Hikmet: Religious verse expressing the poet’s opinions and feelings.

8. Devriye: Poems from the religious popular verse tradition dealing with the cyclical theory. This is a reference to the way that man and the universe came from God and will return to Him.

9. Şathiye: poems from the religious tradition containing humurous elements. They express sect beliefs, are written and performed by mystical poets, and require an element of analysis to be understood.

10. Tevhid: Poems dealing with such elements as the essence of creation and the universe. Maybe seen in gazel, kaside and mesnevi form.

11. Nutuk: Didactic verse read by senior members of Dervish lodges.

12. Deme: Verse from the Alawite sect regarding the sect and its activities and dealing with its problems. Generally in eight-syllable form and accompanied by the saz.

13. Duvaz: Works in praise of the 12 caliphs.