Aesthetics of Sehl-i Mumteni

Word is different from meaning. Literary word belongs to the person speaking. Poetry exists as a word. In Classical Turkish poetry concise word is more acceptable. Therefore sahl-i mumtani has always got attraction in literature. The aesthetic form of the word in Turkish is sehl-i mümteni. The features that aesthetically show the postures and movements of beings are simplicity, balance, adaptation, harmony, integrity, elegance, and so on. The human behaviors accepted as elegant are the ones made so easily that the effort behind it is unseen besides these features. Likewise, it is also aesthetically important that the phrase carries meaning attributed to it quite easily. In classical Turkish literature, this is called latâfat. Letafet is a minimal requirement for sahl-i mumtani. At the same time, the sahl-i mumtani is the phrase that has been purified. In rhetoric, the most advanced way to purify a phrase is called hazf. The more aesthetic art of phrase, in which the number of words is reduced the most, is called icaz. According to this in order to strengthen an idea, intent, feeling or meaning, the number of words should be minimized. Another condition of sahl-i mumtani is tabiilik. The nature of language of poetry comes from its sincerity. Sincerity in literature is that the artist’s core and his phrase should be coherent with each other and that the phrase is purified from artificiality. The poets who own the sahl-i mumtani are intelligent and genius ones, with a rich inner world, who describe the extraordinary situations they experience. As soon as they sense the meaning, they find an expression which suits to it best. This is that the meaning coming from heart is expressed with words, the meaning and expression are integrated, the language finds its ultimate form.