Socialist realist themes in the poetry of Refik Durbaş

Refik Durbaş is one of the most important representatives of social realist poetry in Turkish literature after 1960. In his poems, he developed a poetics that did not entirely exclude individual sensitivities but primarily focused on the realities of working-class life, poverty, and social injustice. This study aims to analyze the socialist discourse in Durbaş's poetry and reveal his approach to the working class, oppressed segments of society, and the harsh realities of daily life. The analysis, conducted using qualitative research methods and document analysis, reveals themes such as labor processes and the working class's struggle for existence, social inequality and class contradictions, the reflections of poverty on daily life, the aesthetics of resistance, and representations of hope. Furthermore, master-apprentice relationships are particularly prominent among Durbaş's poetic characters. Influenced by the imaginative language of the "II. Yeni" in his early period, the poet gradually adopted a simpler and more narrative style. Through his use of narrative narrative techniques, he succeeded in depicting the life experiences of workers with poetic sensitivity. These poetic choices contributed positively to his social realist line in many ways.