The poetry of Abay Kunanbayoğlu

Abay is considered the founder of Kazakh written literature, he is also known as a writer, thinker and statesman. Among the Kazakhs around the world, love and respect for Abay is enormous. The second half of the XIX. century, it is known that the activities of Russian intellectuals, populists and social democrats who were exiled of the Trasist system, which had a great impact on the cultural life of Semey, where Abay was born. Some of them revived education among the public. Libraries, school halls, museums were opened. For example, these intellectuals constituted the Semey bookstore where Abay went continuously. There were valuable works in the field of Russian and European literature, daily press releases, history, economics and philosophy. As a requirement of colonial policy in the city of Semey, institutions established for the purpose of researching the various issues of the public took part. They were of great importance in the study of the cultural and social life of the people. In 1878, the statistical committee was established. They examined the country's natural wealth, history, ethnography and literature. In order to investigate the spiritual life of the Kazakh people, the "Rissian Geographical Union" was opened in many parts of Kazakhstan. They did very important scientific research. In 1877, Semey branch of the Western Siberia Geographical Union was opened in Orinbor city. In 1886, Abay Kunanbay became a member of this committee. These activities influenced Abay's world view and literary personality. It is clear that such social, political and economic conditions will have an impact on the poet who lived in that period. The poet, who was influenced by the political and economic problems of this time, constantly criticizes his period. His poems reveal the social and administrative structure of the 19th century, economic status, social life and human relations with sharp lines. He expresses deep problems by criticizing the characters he chooses from different sections of the society (notables of the people, starting from the people of religion to the public). In order to recognize and understand Abay, one of the prominent figures of Kazakh literature, various articles, books and even a branch of science named "Recognizing Abay" have been established in his name. Under the name of this discipline, all life of Abay, is tried to be examined in every detail from birth to death. This study was carried out in order to understand and interpret Abay's world and style if thought, poems and artist identity. Our thesis focused on Abay's life and literary identity. His poems were first examined in terms of content. Which themes were discussed. Then the form features of his poems were discussed. It was tried to determine the features it showed in terms of measure, rhyme, verse form. Keywords: Abay, poet, Kazakh literature, modern Kazakh literature.