CARTOGRA/POETRY: THE USE OF MAPS IN POETRY

Year 2024, Issue: 368, 42 - 56, 22.09.2024

Özkan Çakırlar

Abstract

Cartography has long been serving humanity for various purposes. In the earlier periods of map-making, maps
were regarded as purely technical products representing the geographical reality just as it was. In the course of
time, however, they started to be seen as the recreation of a selective reality reflecting on the economic, cultural,
and ideological positions and interests of certain groups, societies, or nations. This has led maps to be employed
as images, metaphors, or symbols to be used in literature, particularly in poetry. Thus, maps have become
impressively alluring texts to entail more than they represent, which provides them with the power of being a
source of reference as well as a work of art appealing to the imagination of poets. In this context, this essay
focuses on how the map image has been used particularly in poetic texts with respect to the changing perceptions
about the making and reading of maps. For this purpose, a selection of poems, written in or translated into
English, will be analyzed. These poems, which will be examined under two categories, use maps as their subject
matter or source of inspiration, play with their metaphorical or symbolic meanings, and refer to their dual nature
as both the representation and distortion of selective reality.

Keywords

imagination, poetry, literature, maps, cartography

Haritabilim ve Şiir

Abstract

Hem bir bilim dalı hem de bir uygulama alanı olarak haritacılık, çeşitli amaçlar doğrultusunda insanlığa hizmet
edegelmiştir. Haritacılığın erken dönemlerinde haritalar, üretimleri sırasında kullanılan bilimsel gözlem
süreçleri, matematiksel hesaplamalar ve estetik becerilerin katkısıyla coğrafi gerçekliği olduğu gibi gösteren,
bütünüyle teknik ve sanatsal ürünler olarak görülürdü. Ancak zamanla belirli gruplar, toplumlar ya da ulusların,
ekonomik, kültürel ve ideolojik konum ve çıkarlarını yansıtan ve seçili gerçekliğe dayanan yeniden yaratımlar
olarak ele alınmaya başladılar. Bu da, erken dönemlerinden bu yana haritaların, edebiyat alanında, özellikle de
şiirde imge, eğretileme ya da simge olarak kullanılmasını beraberinde getirdi. Böylelikle haritalar, edebiyatla
ilişkileri çerçevesinde, temsil ettiklerinden daha fazlasını, bazı durumlarda da daha azını akla getirip ima eden
etkileyici metinlere dönüşüp özellikle şairlerin imgelemine hitabeden bir gönderge kaynağına ya da sanat
yapıtına evrildiler. Bu makale, haritaların oluşturulması ve yorumlanması sürecindeki değişimler bağlamında,
harita imgesinin şiirsel metinlerde nasıl kullanıldığı konusuna odaklanacaktır. Bu amaçla, İngilizce yazılmış ya
da İngilizce’ye çevrilmiş şiirlerden oluşan bir seçki irdelenecektir. Bu şiirler haritaları konu alıp esin kaynağı
olarak kullanır, simgesel anlamlarını yorumlarken, seçili gerçekliği olduğu gibi ya da bozarak temsil eden ikili
niteliklerini sorgularlar. İki kategoride incelenecek şiirlerden ilk kategoriye ait olanlar, özünde haritaları, tekdüze
yaşamlarından uzaklaşmak ya da yeni yerler keşfedip yeni deneyimler kazanarak yaşamlarını zenginleştirmek
isteyen kişilere ses verir. İkinci kategoride yer alan şiirlerin kişileri ise, haritaların, kendi sınırlı yetenekleriyle
insanların sınırsız beklentileri arasındaki çelişkiden kaynaklanan kısıt ve yetersizliklerine odaklanır

Keywords

imgelem, şiir, edebiyat, haritalar, haritabilim

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