Kenan Behzat Sharpe

In 1954, Turkish poet Cemal Süreya published an unusual poem in one of the influential literary magazines of the period. “Gül” [Rose] describes a person’s psychic state as he wanders through a disorienting urban landscape. With its use of decontextualized imagery and striking reversals, this poem scandalized Turkey’s mid-century literary scene: I’m crying right in the middle of the rose As I die each evening in the middle of the street Knowing neither what’s ahead or behind me Sensing how your...