The liminal fantastic in the poetry of Asaf Hâlet Çelebi

Asaf Hâlet Çelebi, not being involved in any poetic movement, wasconsidered to be ?odd? or ?extraordinary? in his time, and is still widely seen assuch today. Due to the difference and peculiarity of his poetry, he was widelycriticized and little appreciated. Studies of Asaf Hâlet Çelebi have mostlyconcentrated on the mystic elements used in his poetry. Elements that have beenparticularly focused upon have been the elements he acquired from Eastern cultureand Islamic mysticism, the expressions from older civilizations that are commonlyseen in his poetry, his direct use of phrases in diverse languages, and his allusionsand references to a multiplicity of different texts. More recent studies of Asaf HâletÇelebi have pointed out his frequent use of fable, yet have done no more than pointout his use of fable motifs and move on; no extensive research on the subject hasbeen done thus far. In this study, however, it is the relationship between Asaf HâletÇelebi?s poetry and the fantastic that will be examined. ?Abstraction?, the guidingprinciple of Çelebi?s poetry, will be examined in terms of its effect on ?liminality?.Ultimately, it is the fantastic which emerges from or is approached in Çelebi?spoetry that is examined.Keywords: fantastic, abstraction, transformation, new world, destruction,uncertainty