Linguistics and Literature Studies 8(1): 1-7, 2020 http://www.hrpub.org DOI: 10.13189/lls.2020.080101 The Poetics of Space in Nâzım Hikmet's Poem, Straw-Blond i Efe Duyan Department of Architecture, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Turkey Received August 27, 2019; Revised November 25, 2019; Accepted December 4, 2019 Copyright©2020 by authors, all rights reserved. Authors agree that this article remains permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License Abstract This study investigates the understanding of space in Nâzım Hikmet's poem Straw-Blond and the central role it plays in the composition of the text. Straw-Blond represents a diversion in the oeuvre of Hikmet, a politically controversial and arguably still the most beloved poet in Turkey, who is well-known for his realistic approach and linear narration. A train journey in the background, the text includes descriptions of several cities and places while dealing with the idea of loss in shapes of separation, exile, and aging. The unique way of how space is conceived can be summed up by the sudden and ceaseless jumps from one location to another, either to a geographically different place or to a moment in the past. This surreal network of spaces composed of places in different locations and times leads to a non-linear narration of a fast tempo that refers to the inevitability of the passing of time and it creates an extremely vague and uncanny atmosphere, which, in return, feeds the central theme of the fear of the loss. All the locations from different cities and times are interlinked in a way that the spatial composition of spaces takes center stage as an instrument of narration. Thus, the flow of spaces creates a unique architecture of narration. Keywords Space in the Narrative, Narrative Space, the Theory of Architecture, Nâzım Hikmet, Modern Literature, Poetry 1. Introduction This paper will analyze the use of spaces and places in Nâzım Hikmet's poem Straw-Blond and their effect in the text. First of all, the key concepts to define the space in narration will be outlined. The main element of the analysis is the spatial frame, which is a space created by textual means. How the spaces relate to each other in terms of composition is another critical issue. The thematization of the space will also be mentioned, as the spaces and places are not merely containers of the storyline but also act as the means of representation. Secondly, a framework of Hikmet's poetry will be provided to denote the key features of his poem Staw-Blond. On the one hand, as an avant-garde artist from 1920s on, Hikmet's attitude to reinvent himself is to be noted as it is this reflex that paved the way to a poem as distinctive as Straw-blond. His poetry, in general, is easy to grasp and realistic on the other hand, except the formative years and late poems (the Straw-Blond in particular). Hikmet's use of space in his poems will follow, in parts separated as realistic descriptions of individual locations and abstract images of space. His realistic point of view laid the ground for the frequent inclusion of accurate descriptions of places. There are other examples, though, where he used the space as an abstract image and in a representative way to signify an emotion or an idea. After that, an analysis of Straw-blond will be undertaken based on Hikmet's use of spaces. It will show how he tries to make an emotional impact using the transitions between the spatial frames. His use of space in Straw-blond will be associated with the general composition of the poem to exhibit how he uses the space as the critical element of his narrative and to point out the unique spatial understanding of the text, which can be claimed to have a backbone of the spatial composition. 2. A Conceptual Framework for a Spatial Analysis of Narration Straw-blond presents numerous individual locations, in which narratively significant events take place or which are directly associated with the main themes. The individual locations will be considered as the main element of the spatial analysis. The immediate surroundings of actual events, a specific moment in time and a specific three-dimensional space is defined as a spatial frame