Existential Problems in Nilgün Marmara Poetry in the Context of the Results of Modernity

Abstract

Modernity is a project that promises to increase human being's level of welfare and make him happier and peaceful by illuminating life in the light of wisdom and science. However, shortly after, the negative effects of this understanding, which is based on the aim of understanding and guidance of life only by depending on rationality, appeared as problems like rural-urban migration, modern city life, fear of unemployment, individual's drifting into the loneliness in crowds. The identity seek and spurt in order to gain a place in society for person who tries to explain the meaning of life inquiringly, is remarkable too. Moreover, individual, who withdraws into himself mostly by being uncomfortable in his own skin and being alienated from life, does not rely on administrative system, falls from power of struggling against capitalism, and does not look at the future with hope. The relation of the increasing psychological disorders with all these factors is accepted scientifically. Nilgün Marmara (1958-1987), who earns reputation in modern times, was a poet who did not accept the social-cultural and political problems of her era and became alienated from society. In her poems, although she seems to express her personal thought and feelings, she actually reflects her deep anxiety and uneasiness about society. With announcing her pains of existence in almost every line she wrote and choosing suicide at a young age, today especially arouse young reader's curiosity. The intention of this study is revealing the reasons of her being in a borderline case and her suicide by determining Marmara's existential problems with reference to her poems.