Mehmet Akif Ersoy, in the context of the sociology of literature

It is possible to see in the entire poetry of Mehmet Âkif, by the choice of a literary style which deciphers the deficient and the defective aspects of the society rather than a passive attitude towards the problems of the society, how he played an active role in social life with his poetry, how he strieved to orient the society, and how he tried to broaden the horizon of the society bloodcurdlingly.Mehmet Âkif is a poet who strieved to reflect the era in which he lived with its all wideness and profundity in his poetry. He tried to tell the grieves, joys, hopes, and the disappointments which Turkish nation experienced in the first quarter of the 20th century, in the style of a novel, a story, an epic poem, or a history written in verse. The people who are in his works are from the different layers of the society, like intellectuals, ignorants, religious fanatics, fops, townsmen, religious or irreligious people, the drunk, the poor, the hood, etc. He chose, as sorroundings, the places which reflect all the characteristics of the period in which he lived, like a palace, a mansion, a mosque, a street, places of festival or war, rooms of dilapidated houses, and the hotels. As a working style, his principle was to see and study first, then to prepare rough drafts of his poems and to study on them. He considered the observation and the composition important greatly. There is virtually no obliqueness in his poetry. He strieved to write everything frankly, and tried to stay away from the vague emotions, exalted and metaphysic concepts and the exaggerated fantasies. Virtually, he became the mirror of the society with his poetry. In his poetry, there are nearly no personal distresses, desires and wishes. He treated the sorrows of the society, and he tried to laugh and cry on behalf of the society. Âkif, who aims to struggle against the evil, poverty and the retardation, described the society in his entire art.Key words: Mehmed Akif Ersoy, society, individual, culture, poetry.