Research Article

Water Metaphor In Henry Vaughan’s “The Waterfall” And Feqîyê Teyran’s “Ey Av û Av” Poems

Number: Van Gölü Havzası Özel Sayısı October 30, 2025
TR EN

Water Metaphor In Henry Vaughan’s “The Waterfall” And Feqîyê Teyran’s “Ey Av û Av” Poems

Abstract

The notion of water, characterised by its unique diversity, has been approached through a mystical interpretation, manifesting as a recurrent metaphor within both the English metaphysical poetry tradition and classical Kurdish literature. The water metaphor is a powerful symbol representing mystical beliefs and has been employed by poets as a discourse tool to express concepts such as divine love, existential cycle, belief in God and purification. Henry Vaughan’s poem The Waterfall is a notable exemplar of the metaphysical poetry tradition during the Renaissance period in English literary history. In a similar manner, the poem Ey Av û Av (O Water and Water) by Feqîyê Teyran serves as a prime example of classical Kurdish poetry. A common mystical discourse and naturalistic content unites both poets and their poems within the context of world poetry. This study explores the manner in which two poets from different literary traditions can come together around a shared theme. It does so by examining their conceptualisations and spiritual orientations within a mystical tradition of world poetry, despite the linguistic and cultural distances that separate them. This study employs a comparative method to examine the ways in which the poets transformed their metaphysical and mystical approaches into poetic expression through an analysis of the two poems. The formal elements of the poems were identified and the compositional features were elucidated. Furthermore, the poems were analysed in the context of the water metaphor and its manifestations. Following a thorough investigation into the metaphysical and naturalistic aspects of the poems under discussion, and within the framework of the water metaphor, it has been demonstrated that despite the evident differences in poetic tradition, language and culture, common themes and poetic expression facilitate a consistent literary interpretation of the poets and their poems

Keywords

References

  1. Adak, A. (2013). Destpêka Edebiyata Kurdî ya Klasîk. Nûbihar. İstanbul.
  2. Adak, A. (2019). Teşeyên Nezmê Di edebiyata kurdî ya klasîk de. Nûbihar. İstanbul.
  3. Aykaç, Y. (2022). Miks: Navendeke Dîrokî, ‘Ilmî, Tesewifî û Edebî. The Journal of Mesopotamian Studies, 7 (1), 067-102. DOI: 10.35859/jms.2022. 1070581.
  4. Aytaç, G. (2009). Karşılaştırmalı Edebiyat Bilimi. Doğu Batı Yayınları - 136; Edebiyat Dizisi 29. Ankara.
  5. Barksdale, Richard K. (1955). The Nature Poetry of Henry Vaughan. Western Humanities Review; Salt Lake City Vol 9, (Jan 1, 1955): 341-348.
  6. Bachelard, G. (2006). Su ve Düşler - Maddenin İmgelemi Üzerine Deneme. Çev.: Olcay Kunal. Yapı Kredi Yayınları - 2320, Cogito - 145. İstanbul.
  7. Bettany, W. A. Lewis. (1905). “Introduction” in Silex Scintillans. Blackie and Son Publication. London.
  8. Blondel, M. (2021). Philosophical Exigencies of Christian Religion. Translated by Olivia Blanchette. University of Notre Dame Press. Notre Dame, Indiana.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

World Languages, Literature and Culture (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Early Pub Date

October 30, 2025

Publication Date

October 30, 2025

Submission Date

March 17, 2025

Acceptance Date

July 21, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Number: Van Gölü Havzası Özel Sayısı

APA
Çeliktaş, S. (2025). Water Metaphor In Henry Vaughan’s “The Waterfall” And Feqîyê Teyran’s “Ey Av û Av” Poems. Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, Van Gölü Havzası Özel Sayısı, 136-150. https://doi.org/10.53568/yyusbed.1659900
AMA
1.Çeliktaş S. Water Metaphor In Henry Vaughan’s “The Waterfall” And Feqîyê Teyran’s “Ey Av û Av” Poems. Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi. 2025;(Van Gölü Havzası Özel Sayısı):136-150. doi:10.53568/yyusbed.1659900
Chicago
Çeliktaş, Sami. 2025. “Water Metaphor In Henry Vaughan’s “The Waterfall” And Feqîyê Teyran’s ‘Ey Av û Av’ Poems”. Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, no. Van Gölü Havzası Özel Sayısı: 136-50. https://doi.org/10.53568/yyusbed.1659900.
EndNote
Çeliktaş S (October 1, 2025) Water Metaphor In Henry Vaughan’s “The Waterfall” And Feqîyê Teyran’s “Ey Av û Av” Poems. Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi Van Gölü Havzası Özel Sayısı 136–150.
IEEE
[1]S. Çeliktaş, “Water Metaphor In Henry Vaughan’s “The Waterfall” And Feqîyê Teyran’s ‘Ey Av û Av’ Poems”, Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, no. Van Gölü Havzası Özel Sayısı, pp. 136–150, Oct. 2025, doi: 10.53568/yyusbed.1659900.
ISNAD
Çeliktaş, Sami. “Water Metaphor In Henry Vaughan’s “The Waterfall” And Feqîyê Teyran’s ‘Ey Av û Av’ Poems”. Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi. Van Gölü Havzası Özel Sayısı (October 1, 2025): 136-150. https://doi.org/10.53568/yyusbed.1659900.
JAMA
1.Çeliktaş S. Water Metaphor In Henry Vaughan’s “The Waterfall” And Feqîyê Teyran’s “Ey Av û Av” Poems. Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi. 2025;:136–150.
MLA
Çeliktaş, Sami. “Water Metaphor In Henry Vaughan’s “The Waterfall” And Feqîyê Teyran’s ‘Ey Av û Av’ Poems”. Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, no. Van Gölü Havzası Özel Sayısı, Oct. 2025, pp. 136-50, doi:10.53568/yyusbed.1659900.
Vancouver
1.Sami Çeliktaş. Water Metaphor In Henry Vaughan’s “The Waterfall” And Feqîyê Teyran’s “Ey Av û Av” Poems. Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi. 2025 Oct. 1;(Van Gölü Havzası Özel Sayısı):136-50. doi:10.53568/yyusbed.1659900

Journal of Yüzüncü Yıl University Graduate School of Social Sciences is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY NC).