An overview on the semiotic function of fire and water images in Şeyh Galib’s poems

Abstract

Imagery of fire and water represents experiences that have significantly influenced the human psyche across most cultures throughout history. Humans have engaged with various elements related to fire and water, developing a deep-rooted connection with them. On the one hand, fire and water serve as images that humans continuously imbue with meaning, while on the other hand, they also exert a constant impact on the broader world of human interpretation. Classical Turkish poets, who embrace the principle of deriving rich associations from concise expressions, have found significant value in the meaning potential of these two images.
Although Şeyh Galib composed his poetry within the classical Turkish literary tradition, he introduced significant innovations in his approach. He went beyond traditional patterns, personalizing his poetry to a greater extent than his predecessors. Analyzing poems by a poet who strictly adheres to tradition requires a different approach from analyzing those by a poet who innovates within or beyond the traditional framework. When analyzing Şeyh Galib’s poems, which incorporate more personal experience, delve deeper into meaning, and feature more abstract elements, the chosen method becomes crucial.
This paper seeks to underscore the significance of focusing on imagery such as fire and water, which encompass both concrete, abstract, and universal aspects, to illuminate the deeply embedded, abstracted, and personalized meanings in Şeyh Galib’s poems. The multidimensional nature of fire and water imagery necessitates a consideration of their micro and macro contexts, their interactions with other signs, and their relationship with the poet, the reader, and the historical period. Semiotic methods are instrumental in providing a multidimensional framework for text analysis, enabling a comprehensive exploration of the imagery’s layered meanings. For this reason, these methods have been chosen for this paper.