Telmih in divan poetry (16th century)

"Telmih", which is one of the most frequently used literary devices in Ottoman Divan poetry, is a figure of speech art form encountered in almost every literary work, playing a significant role in understanding the poetry. References to famous figures, events, or works from the past also offer depth to understanding by providing the opportunity to convey a lot with few words. In its reliance on legendary-mythological figures, prophets' stories, verses, hadiths, historical figures, and similar sources, telmih also facilitates the transmission of tradition. The objective of this thesis is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the term "telmih", which holds a pivotal position in comprehending divan poetry and facilitating cultural transmission, similar to its role in other Islamic literary traditions. Commencing with its definition, the study accentuates its functional aspects, identifies the frequency of telmih utilization within divans, and endeavors to construct a dedicated telmih lexicon. Telmih themes were identified and cataloged based on the summit period of divan poetry, primarily the 16th century, through an examination of nineteen divans. The collected telmih examples were categorized according to their respective subjects in preparation for the compilation of the lexicon. The identified themes were discussed under eight headings and elucidated with sample verses. Based on the number of verses obtained through the survey, the frequency of telmih usage in 16th-century divan poetry was examined concerning poets, themes, and poetic forms, illustrated through graphs and tables. At the conclusion of the study, telmih lexicon was compiled by elucidating words evoking the inferred topic from the verses within the context of telmih. Keywords: Divan poetry, 16th century, literary devices, telmih, telmih lexicon, allusion.