Rome Commemorates 14th-Century Poet as 21st Century Values Slide into Oblivion—Yunus Emre: The Ultimate Time Traveler?

[ad_1]
In a delightful twist of fate, the Yunus Emre Institute in Rome recently hosted a gathering to ponder the wisdom of Yunus Emre, the 13th-century poet who’s apparently more relevant today than your latest TikTok trend. Scholars, led by the illustrious Dr. Leyla Dönmez, took the stage to marry the profound moral insights of the past with the digital dilemmas of the 21st century. Because nothing screams “modern relevance” quite like discussing 800-year-old poetry while scrolling through Instagram feeds filled with avocado toast and cute cat videos.

Dönmez mused about the “core values” of justice, honesty, love, and respect—concepts still fetchingly foreign in this day and age. She likened today’s moral landscape to a dilapidated antique store where the past and present oddly coexist, each struggling for attention. Can we really honor Yunus Emre while overlooking the fact that “love” also includes the fun of hashtagging every relationship drama online? The irony abounds, as we seek the wisdom of a hermit poet to help us navigate our now hyperlinked lives.

Dr. Ömer Faruk Bayrakçı added a musical layer to this ethical soufflé with a qanun recital, reminding us that not only are Yunus Emre’s poems gorgeous enough to woo the savviest of composers, but they’ve also been shoved through the music industry meat grinder in the name of religious art. Nothing brings a room together like the sweet sounds of centuries-old Turkish poetry right before someone waxes poetic on their latest gluten-free lifestyle choice.

Director Zafer Kıyıcı swooped in like a cultural avenger, declaring that the teachings of Yunus Emre are more pressing than ever given the dumpster fire that is the 21st century. He urged the gathered crowd to embrace his messages of peace and unity, as if those could be easily collaged together on a Pinterest board—preferably with a lot of pastel colors to soften the blow of modern human life’s chaos.

It’s almost poetic in its absurdity that we need to gather in Rome—an ancient cultural epicenter, mind you—to reflect on whether love, tolerance, and unity can still find a seat at the 21st-century table, where chaos reigns supreme and social media feuds are the new gladiatorial games. In a world grappling with discrimination and hatred, perhaps it really is time to dust off those old poems and pretend they can quell our social media spats. After all, if historical wisdom can’t guide us today, were we ever really paying attention?