Age Poetry as Autobiographic Items in the Literature of Turkic Nations

Abstract

As in all world literature, human life is taken into consideration in the examples of Turkic nations literature. In this context, yashnames (age poetry) are noteworthy as a literary genre dealing with human life from beginning to end. Yashnames are poems that summarize human life. The word “Yash” we encounter in a number of Turkic nations literature means “age”. Foetus, infancy, childhood, adolescence, maturity and old age are the subjects of such poetry. In most yashnames characteristics of human life from one to one hundred years old are expressed. In the poems written on human life in general deal with life cycles only. However, some of the yashnames we have compiled draw attention as poems that summarize the lives of the poets themselves. In this context the yashnames of the poets from Azerbaijan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Karakalpakistan have autobiographical characteristics. In the yashnames of the poets we will deal with in the article in details such as Ashug Bahman Gokcheli, Dollu Mustapha, Hajı Loughman Korkut, Molla Maharram, Mollamurd, Molla Napas, Molla Juma, Ashug Mevlut İhsani, Balli Bayraktaroğlu, Ebubakr Kardari Shokanulı, Fehmi Gur, Huseyinoghlu Balı, Talibi Coshkun, Veysel Jehdi, and Yurekli, as well as Ahmed Yassawi some details of their lives are quoted. For example, poet Mevlut Ihsani recalls a bad accident while describing the ages of his life. The yashnames of poets we have mentioned in the article will be considered as autobiographical works, common features of all poems will be mentioned.