Vedi AŞKAROĞLU

The “tragic” concept is related to man’s position in the universe and his / her questioning of and revolt against the present forces responsible for such a case, which in turn leads to the character’s pathetic end. This concept has undergone great changes since classical tragedy times, and old noble tragic heroes have given way to modern ordinary man, who accepts defeat hopelessly in the face of his inability to cope with the swiftly changing world around him / her. This new human typology was particularly made a theme of innumerable art works influenced by the nihlistic air pervading the world under the influence of the destruction caused by World Wars. One of such types is Süleyman Efendi, depicted in Kitabe-i Seng-i Mezar by Orhan Veli Kanık. He is presented as a frustrated helplessness imagery of modern ordinary man against the harsh world conditions. The aim of this study is to analyze the conditions responsible for the tragic case of modern man in the example of this poem.

Key Words: Ordinary Man, Tragic, Süleyman Efendi, Kitabe-i Seng-i Mezar