Nigâr Hanim
Encyclopedia
Nigâr Hanım (نگار خانم) was an Ottoman
poet, who pioneered modern Western styles in a feminine mode. She is a major figure in post-Tanzimat
Turkish poetry.
to Macar Osman Pasha, an Ottoman nobleman of Hungarian
origin. She was very well educated, first attending Kadıköy
Fransız Mektebi (French School in Kadıköy), later receiving lectures at home from private teachers. She was able to speak eight different languages and play piano at a very young age.
She was married at age fourteen, but divorced after a few years of great unhappiness.
Her early poetry is in the traditional divan style, but later she was influenced by Recaizade Mahmut Ekrem and others, and adopted a more modernist stance, influenced by the Western poetry of her time. She was well versed in the cultures of East and West, and knew French, Greek, Arabic, and German.
Her book Efsus was the first poetry book written in Western style of poetry by a woman author. Like Mihrî Hatun
, and possibly the first woman poet since her, her femininity is not hidden. Her writing style, choice of themes and presentation reflects a very feminine sensibility. Apart from poetry, she wrote prose and made several translations.
In her personal life, she was an important and well-known figure in the society of her time. Apart from her career as a poet, her life-style, outgoing personality and choice of clothing had a wide influence on society and the perspective of women at the time. Although it is not possible to say that she was a feminist, her view of woman rights was much ahead of her time.
She became increasingly isolated in the last years of her life, and was in great pain. She died 1918 in İstanbul.
Here is a list of her major works:
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
poet, who pioneered modern Western styles in a feminine mode. She is a major figure in post-Tanzimat
Tanzimat
The Tanzimât , meaning reorganization of the Ottoman Empire, was a period of reformation that began in 1839 and ended with the First Constitutional Era in 1876. The Tanzimât reform era was characterized by various attempts to modernize the Ottoman Empire, to secure its territorial integrity against...
Turkish poetry.
Life and Poetry
Nigâr was born in IstanbulIstanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
to Macar Osman Pasha, an Ottoman nobleman of Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
origin. She was very well educated, first attending Kadıköy
Kadiköy
Kadıköy is a large, populous, and cosmopolitan district of İstanbul, Turkey on the Asian side of the Sea of Marmara, facing the historic city centre on the European side of the Bosporus...
Fransız Mektebi (French School in Kadıköy), later receiving lectures at home from private teachers. She was able to speak eight different languages and play piano at a very young age.
She was married at age fourteen, but divorced after a few years of great unhappiness.
Her early poetry is in the traditional divan style, but later she was influenced by Recaizade Mahmut Ekrem and others, and adopted a more modernist stance, influenced by the Western poetry of her time. She was well versed in the cultures of East and West, and knew French, Greek, Arabic, and German.
Her book Efsus was the first poetry book written in Western style of poetry by a woman author. Like Mihrî Hatun
Mihri Hatun
Also known as Lady Mihri and Mihri Khatun was a female Ottoman poet. She was the daughter of a kadi and according to sources she spent most of her life in and near Amasya, in Anatolia. . Documentation places her as a member of the literary circle of Prince Ahmed, the son of Sultan Bayezid II...
, and possibly the first woman poet since her, her femininity is not hidden. Her writing style, choice of themes and presentation reflects a very feminine sensibility. Apart from poetry, she wrote prose and made several translations.
In her personal life, she was an important and well-known figure in the society of her time. Apart from her career as a poet, her life-style, outgoing personality and choice of clothing had a wide influence on society and the perspective of women at the time. Although it is not possible to say that she was a feminist, her view of woman rights was much ahead of her time.
She became increasingly isolated in the last years of her life, and was in great pain. She died 1918 in İstanbul.
Works
Here is an early love poem by her (translation by Talat S. Halman):- Tell me Again
- Am I your only love -- in the whole world -- now?
- Am I really the only object of your love?
- If passions rage in your mind,
- If love springs eternal in your heart --
- Is it all meant for me? Tell me again.
- Tell me right now, am I the one who inspires
- All your dark thoughts, all your sadness?
- Share with me what you feel, what you think.
- Come, my love, pour into my heart
- Whatever gives you so much pain.
- Tell me again.
- (from Cosman, et al., Penguin Book of Women Poets 1978, p.265)
Here is a list of her major works:
Poetry
- Efsus I
- Efsus II
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