A resarch on the life and poems of Şükran Kurdakul

Şükran Kurdakul, started writing poems during his primary school years. His early poems were published in magazines Çocuk Sesi and Maceralar Dünyası. His poems also regularly published by Adam Sanat, Ataç, Beraber, Eylem, Fikirler, Kaynak, Kovan, Yarımay, Yedigün, Yelken, Yürüyüş magazines. His fisrt poetry book Tomurcuk was published in 1943. This book was followed by Zevklerin ve Hülyaların Şiirleri (1944), Giderayak (1956), Nice Kaygılardan Sonra (1963), İzmirin İçinde Amerikan Neferi (1966), Halk Orduları (1969), Acılar Dönemi (1977), Bir Yürekten Bir Yaşamdan (1982), Ökselerin Yöresinde (1984), Ölümsüzlerle (1985), Bir Yürekten Bir Yaşamdan (Collected Poems- 1993) and İhtiyar Yüzyıla (1997). In 1948, he and his three friends published Genç Nesil (Young Generation) magazine in İzmir, but the magazine could only be released as three issues. After that experience, he published Yeryüzü and Beraber magazines with his friends, then Ataç and Eylem magazines on his own. He afforded great opportunities to the new poets in the magazines he released. He also made great contributions to our literature with the books he published as a publishing house owner. Kurdakul produced literary works in different genres of literature. He wrote four short story books of socialist realistic genre, reflecting marks of his own life. Kurdakul is also a literature historian, producing the works as follows. Şükran Kurdakul is widely known as socialist realistic poet. In the center of the socialist realism there lies "I" (the self of the poet himself). The beginning point of his story is his own life experiences, and the story end when he finds the society. Actually when he says "I", he means society. Questions and questioning covers every single realm of his life. In his poems he constantly ask the questions of which he knows the answers. His main goal is to create a better world to live in. The sentiment of growing up without a father beside had always accompanied him. He never forgot the reality of being a son of an Independence War soldier. He never fell into despair in the face of obstacles. Resistance and compassion had been his life philosophy. He wrote all his poems in socialist realistic line, except those released in his first books. In his poems he tried to strike a balance between being man of emotions and man of thinking. Key words: The life, works, socialist realism and magazine publishing of Şükran Kurdakul.