SOCIAL AND MORAL DEGRADATION IN RIZA ÇOLAKOĞLU’S POEMS

Al Qassab, Naznaz Adnan; Shukur, Goran Salahattin

doi:10.32894/1992-1179.2025.159205.1183

	SOCIAL AND MORAL DEGRADATION IN RIZA ÇOLAKOĞLU’S POEMS
Kirkuk University Journal: Humanity Studies
Volume 20, Issue 2, Part 1, September 2025, Pages 328-364 PDF (903.62 K)
Document Type: Research Paper
DOI: 10.32894/1992-1179.2025.159205.1183
Authors
Naznaz Adnan al qassab^* ¹; Goran Salahattin Shukur^* ²
¹salahaddin university
²Department of Kurdish Language, College of Languages, Salahaddin University-Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
Abstract
This study focuses on the critical voice that dominates Rıza Çolakoğlu’s poetry, analyzing how themes of social decay and moral decline in modern times are reflected through poetic language. His poems, while drawing from individual sensitivity, emerge as the voice of a collective conscience, dealing with issues such as moral corruption, commercialization of values, the loss of quality in education, economic inequality, the disintegration of family structures, and cultural degeneration. Drawing upon the tradition of folk poetry, Çolakoğlu employs a plain yet impactful style, enriched with irony, satire, and metaphor to expose structural injustices and societal contradictions. Rather than being mere personal lamentations, his poems can be read as literary diagnoses of his era’s social pathologies. His poetic style combines elements of cultural heritage with a sharp awareness of contemporary challenges. In this respect, Çolakoğlu does not consider poetry as a purely aesthetic endeavor but as a moral responsibility. Poetry, in his hands, becomes a means to awaken society, remind it of forgotten values, and preserve the voice of conscience. This study reveals that Çolakoğlu’s poetry functions not only as a literary legacy but also as a medium for ethical and social awakening.
Keywords
Social criticism; moral decline; poetic language; Rıza Çolakoğlu

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