“Enjambment” is a technique that entered Turkish literature during the Servet-i Fünûn[1] era, bringing poetry closer to prose.[2] The purpose of enjambment is to liberate poetry that has been confined by patterns and ensnared by rules, offering poets the freedom to write as they wish, express themselves, and convey their message to the reader by freeing the verse from rhyme schemes and line counts. It marks a transition from the era where art was made for art’s sake to a period where it was used to serve the people. Enjambment is not just a technique that brings poetry closer to prose; it is a horizon pregnant with greater goals, a vast art filled with secrets, and a valley that echoes the overflowing accumulation of poets with its boundlessness.
This technique also represents the art of completing the meaning of one line with another in a poem. When the meaning does not fit within one line, it merges with the next, and only in this way can it shed light on the mystery of a new meaning.[3] Let’s provide an example from the poet Tevfik Fikret who masterfully used this art:
“Gather and throw whatever there is, stones, needles,
Into the serenity of this environment.
It may slightly revive, and for your
Efforts, endeavors, and merits,
Surely the motherland, this sick grandmother,
Will place a warm kiss on your sweaty forehead.”[4]
With the enjambment technique, the meaning shifts to the following lines, creating a flow of meaning. In the city’s lethargy and the turmoil of people’s poverty, the effort that needs to be shown is announced to the reader by the support and merger of all the lines, involving every word in the matter and attributing it to them in a way that they represent.
Enjambment captures incomplete expressions and words deprived of meaning on their own, forming a whole from these fragments. It is aware of the qualities it must possess while achieving its goal; it is complementary, holistic, opposed to stagnation, noticeable for its dynamism and desire for unity, fond of brotherhood, and addicted to solidarity…
Enjambment, with its inherent features and reason for existence, seems to tell us something: It serves people…
Aren’t service people also progressing with similar methods? Bringing people together on a common ground, aiming for dynamism, striving to add meaning to others’ lives, sometimes even leaving their homeland for this cause, creating a brotherhood of meaning between lines, like enjambment, filling gaps, adding depth to everything, and delivering meanings to needy hearts… As long as the meaning resonates throughout the poem, finds life in the universe’s poetic melody, and finally reaches the Divine.[5]
The universe’s poem is written by God’s (may He be glorified and exalted) pen of power, with the ink from our Master’s (peace and blessings be upon him) light, encompassing every created being. Wise transitions occur between lines, the manifestations of Divine Names appear, and the eternal meanings of mortal beings are preserved. People from different times and places also come together with a common ideology.
Hearts are needed to read and recite the universe’s poem. Hearts striving to carry meaning to others, stripping away materialism and ego… Desiring to not leave anyone out, seeing each individual as an indispensable word of the poem, collecting everyone’s unique talents into a meaningful whole…
Enjambment also has the power to unite the poles of prose and poetry. One is clear and information-laden; the other is hidden and dreamy. This union is witnessed in the poem “Seyfi Baba” written by Mehmet Akif Ersoy:
“Let’s not transfer it… Who will bring my bread?
Is it good to sit blind, begging from the dishonorable?
Whoever does not earn a living in this world;
A disgrace to friends; a mockery to foes!
…
I fell ill, I have no one to care for me; Osman
Runs day and night, called work, I don’t know when
Will he hold bread? It might be three o’clock
You see he hasn’t come yet… loneliness is very tough.”[6]
Remaining true to their own values and principles, prose and poetry blend into a single work, infusing meaning into their very fibers, showing us that when the goal is one, regardless of differences, entanglement and unity are possible. This unity attracts Divine grace, success is achieved in the aim, strength is gained, and strength from that unity opens doors to many blessings.[7]
Thus, small, humble but noble-intentioned steps and methods should not be underestimated. No matter how different people are, one day an “enjambment character” will emerge and gather the scattered for a common ideal, and the meaning of a sublime poem will rise to the Throne.
“With the need for love and reunion,
One always runs towards this horizon throughout life.
Feeling the crystalized meaning in his heart,
He senses the beyond, and I believe this is the goal.”[8]
[1] Servet-i Fünûn: This is a period in Turkish literature covering the years 1896–1901. During this time, works were predominantly influenced by French literature, and there was a movement towards Western styles. Among the famous poets and writers of the period are notable names such as Tevfik Fikret, Cenap Şahabettin, Halit Ziya Uşaklıgil, Mehmet Rauf, Süleyman Nazif, and Hüseyin Suat Yalçın. See: Yusuf Çopur, “Servet-i Fünun Dönemi Edebiyatı Hakkında Çalışılan Lisansüstü Tezler Hakkında Bir Meta Analiz Çalışması”, Social Mentality and Researcher Thinkers Journal, atif.sobiad.com/index.jsp?modul=makale-detay&Alan=sosyal&Id=efiEq30BYbO9RkQmhywO
[2] www.turkedebiyati.org/anjanbman-nedir/
[3] Kadir Sarıaslan, “Enjambment as a complicated concept in poetry translation”, Rumelide Dil ve Edebiyat Dergisi, 2023, (35), 1576–1588. dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/rumelide/issue/79512/1346641
[4] Tevfik Fikret, Haluk’un Defteri, Haluk’un Vedaı, www.turkedebiyati.org/anjanbman-nedir/
[5] M. Fethullah Gülen, “Nam-ı Celil-i Muhammedî”, www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aafxpWfArY
[6] Mehmet Akif Ersoy, “Seyfi Baba”, Safahat, İstanbul: Sütun Yayınları, 2007, p. 60.
[7] M. Fethullah Gülen, “Kenetlenme”, herkul.org/kirik-testi/kenetlenme/
[8] M. Fethullah Gülen, “Ruhun Rabıtaları”, Kırık Mızrap, İstanbul: Nil Yayınları, 2007, p. 81.
