An ekphrastic view of history through paintings in İlhan Berk's poems

This thesis examines how the ekphrastic poems written by İlhan Berk about visual artworks offer a perspective on history. The first chapter examines the relationship between visual arts and poetry from the past to the present. It then summarizes the changing nature of historiography over time and the emergence of postmodern historiography. The second chapter focuses on the transformation İlhan Berk undergoes in his poetry, particularly in his book Galile Denizi. It delves into how the resulting ekphrastic poems establish a connection with history. The third chapter examines the visual background of the mythology and history-focused poems found in the books Çivi Yazısı, Otağ, and Mısırkalyoniğne. These visual backgrounds can be traced through the Kült Kitap and the notebooks kept by İlhan Berk. The fourth chapter demonstrates how the ekphrastic poems in the poetry book Şenliknâme reflect the poet's focus on Ottoman history during this period. The fifth chapter highlights how the book Atlas intensifies the interest in both the history of cities and individuals. This chapter also showcases how Atlas represents İlhan Berk's own history through paintings and poetry. In the final chapter of the thesis, the discussion revolves around how approaching history through an ekphrastic perspective using visual artworks establishes a relationship between the poet and history. As a result, it becomes evident that İlhan Berk utilizes visual artworks as a means to act as he desires within history, to disrupt and recreate history, and to establish his own narrative of history.