The Place Is Vast and Our Step (Book)

Yer Çok ve Adımlarımız (The Place Is Vast and Our Steps) is the debut poetry collection by A. Samet Atılgan. Published in 2022 as part of Dergâh Publication’s Turkish Literature series, the work consists of 55 pages and is notable for its rhythmic poetry. The author, after publishing poems and articles in the past, uses this book to try and find his own voice in the literary world.

In the short poems, the book addresses the individual's existential crises, their relationship with space, and a feeling of spiritual confinement.

• Untimely Defeat: The sense of disconnection between the past and present is reflected with great intensity.
• Panic and Haste: The atmosphere of speed and anxiety in modern life is integrated with poetic imagery.
• Rebirth: A theme of a fresh start and renewed existence is constructed through metaphors of water and the earth.

Atılgan’s poems are short, clear, and intensely poetic. The imagery is combined with a highly emotional tone. Space, time, and inner voices add a consistent rhythm to the poetry through regular repetitions. While the language operates on an experiential and intuitive level, it resonates with the reader through singular images.