Neyzen Tevfik
NEYZEN TEVFIK KOLAYLI
Born in Bodrum on 24 March 1879, this eccentric figure of Turkish literature was in the habit of fashioning whistles and flutes from reeds when he was still a boy. At some point, young Tevfik 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 known 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 whose 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.
During his lifetime, two books of his work, Hiç ("Nothing") and Azab-ı Mukaddes ("The Sacred Torment") were published. Many other anthologies of his poetry and satire were published posthumously. Neyzen Tevfik was also the composer of works of Classical Turkish music. He died in İstanbul on 28 January 1953.
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