Time and Illusion of Tradition in Tanpınar

Abstract

Tanpınar undertakes a mission which is more than being a renowned literary figure in view of the renewing of the traditional cultural identity and exhibiting a role model for later generations. In that sense successor and predecessor relationship between his tutor and a master -a colossal name in modern Turkish literature- Yahya Kemal is worthy of investigation. When read against Yahya Kemal in a comperative way over the rhymes which contain the essence of their poetical universe about a fundemental issue such as time, Tanpınar in this essay is understood as exhibiting a problematic if not altogether contradictory claim in terms of being counted within the tradition.