KULTURK

Abstract

In classical Turkish literature, there are numerous verse forms that have enabled the structuring of words into fixed patterns. One of these is bahr-ı tavîl, which possesses unique characteristics and is represented by a limited number of examples. This verse form, which generally addresses the relationship between the lover and the beloved, is most notably characterized by its resemblance to prose texts, its use of rhymed prose (seci), a comparatively simpler language than other verse forms, and its composition predominantly through the repeated use of the fe‘ilâtün foot of the aruz meter. Examples of bahr-ı tavîl can be found in every period of our literature from the 15th to the 20th century. Although some academic studies to date have identified around forty bahr-ı tavîl texts, recent surveys of literary works conducted for various purposes have uncovered new examples, increasing the total number to over seventy.
In this study, a comprehensive list of bahr-ı tavîls has been compiled, including newly identified examples, and certain inferences have been made about the formal and thematic features of this verse form, which has received limited attention in literary sources. Subsequently, three previously unknown bahr-ı tavîl texts by Fehmî, Şehrî and İhsân have been analyzed in terms of form and content, and their transliterated versions have been included.