Cemal Süreya (born Cemalettin Seber, 1931 Erzincan – 9 January 1990 Istanbul) is one of the most original figures of modern Turkish poetry. As a leading member of the “Second New” (İkinci Yeni) movement, he left a strong mark on contemporary poetry through his play with language, irony, erotic tone and emotional intensity. He is widely remembered for his famous line: “Life is short, birds are flying.”
Early Life and Exile
Süreya was born in Erzincan in eastern Turkey in 1931. In 1938, during the military operations in the Dersim region, his family was forcibly deported and settled in the city of Bilecik. This experience of exile at a very young age left deep traces in his life and later in his poetry. The trauma of displacement and loss resurfaces in a number of his poems and memories.
Education and University Years
He completed his primary and secondary education in various Anatolian towns and developed a strong interest in literature during high school. He then studied at the Faculty of Political Science of Ankara University (known as “Mülkiye”). His university years were crucial for the maturation of his poetic voice. His early poems and articles began to appear in literary magazines; his poem “Şarkısı Beyaz” attracted attention in the early 1950s.
Entering Poetry and the Second New
The 1950s were the years when the Second New movement rose in Turkish poetry. Cemal Süreya, together with poets such as Edip Cansever, Turgut Uyar and Ece Ayhan, became one of the central names of this modernist, image-driven, highly allusive poetic style. While writing dense, multi-layered poems, he also made bold use of everyday speech, irony and surprising metaphors.
His first poetry collection “Üvercinka”, published in 1958–1959, revealed his distinct voice and quickly became a landmark book of modern Turkish poetry. He continued his poetic journey with books such as “Göçebe” (Nomad), “Beni Öp Sonra Doğur Beni” (Kiss Me Then Give Birth to Me), “Uçurumda Açan”, “Sıcak Nal”, “Güz Bitigi” and his collected poems “Sevda Sözleri” (Words of Love). Süreya also published and edited the literary magazine “Papirüs”, where he shared his own work and his views on literature.
Style and Themes
Love, eroticism, solitude, urban life, childhood memories and, at times, social and political hints intertwine in Süreya’s poetry. He never completely breaks with tradition; instead, he transforms and reuses it in a modern way. His work is characterized by the coexistence of emotional intensity and sharp intelligence, lyrical tone and irony.
His short, striking lines frequently blend colloquial language with unexpected images. The line “Hayat kısa, kuşlar uçuyor” (“Life is short, birds are flying”) has become one of the most quoted verses in Turkish poetry.
Prose Writing and Translation
In addition to poetry, Cemal Süreya wrote essays, diaries, portraits and literary criticism. Collections such as “Şapkam Dolu Çiçekle”, “Günübirlik”, “Günler”, “99 Yüz”, “Folklor Şiire Düşman” and “Papirüs’ten Başyazılar” gather his reflections on literature, daily life and contemporary writers.
He also translated many works from French into Turkish, thus contributing to Turkish literature as a translator. His book for children, “Aritmetik İyi Kuşlar Pekiyi”, reflects his playful attitude towards language in a different genre.
Final Years and Death
Throughout the 1980s, Süreya remained an active literary figure, publishing poems and prose in various magazines. He died in Istanbul on 9 January 1990, leaving behind a body of work that reshaped modern Turkish poetry and continues to be read by new generations.
Selected Works
Poetry Collections
- Üvercinka (1958)
- Göçebe (1965)
- Beni Öp Sonra Doğur Beni (1973)
- Uçurumda Açan (1984, included in collected poems)
- Sevda Sözleri (collected poems)
- Sıcak Nal (1988)
- Güz Bitigi (1988)
Prose (Selected)
- Şapkam Dolu Çiçekle
- Günübirlik
- Günler
- 99 Yüz
- Folklor Şiire Düşman
- Papirüs’ten Başyazılar
- Aritmetik İyi Kuşlar Pekiyi (for children)
Quote
“Hayat kısa, kuşlar uçuyor.” – “Life is short, birds are flying.”