NEYZEN TEVFIK

Born in Bodrum in 1878, this eccentric fıgure of Turkish literature was in the habit of fashioning whistles and flutes from reeds when he was still a boy. At some point, young Tevfık decided that his preferred instrument was to be the ney, a reed flute that is especially popular in Mevlevi music and for this reason he added the word neyzen - flute player-before his name and so he is knovvn today. According to Avram Galanti Bodrumlu, a childhood friend of his, Neyzen Tevfik's music and poetry were inspired by the sea. Certainly there have been few artists whos e work demonstrates the close relationship between music and poetry as his does.

Neyzen Tevfik was known for his colorful, bohemian lifestyle and for verse that could be savagely caustic in its wit. He often introduced himself as "Neyzen Tevfik, whose three-dimensionality is manifested in his music, his poetry, and his rakı." His poetry is imbued with social awareness, philosophy, and depth and it invites the reader to partake in a rational, common-sense morality. As a poet, Neyzen Tevfik is unique in the literature of the late Empire and early Republic.