“Unconventional associations” such as symbols, metaphors, etc. have an important role in the formation/shaping of the poetry universe of Âşık Veysel, who is considered to be one of the last representatives of minstrel literature (âşık edebiyatı) in the 20th century. Through these associations, Veysel “embodies” his feelings and thoughts in his poems and bridges the gap between the past and the age he lives in. Veysel’s frequent use of “rose” and “nightingale”, two of the most prominent symbols of oral and written culture from ancient times to the present day, in his poems is an outstanding example of this bridge he has built. In this study, the universe of meaning and the symbolic discourses created by the symbols of “rose” and “nightingale” in Veysel’s poems have been determined; it has been seen that these symbols constitute a positive universe of meaning, with the exception of “Erzincan” poetry. On the other hand, it has been found that the poems in which “rose and nightingale” are employed together generally describe human and divine love, the rose is depicted as (the lover, Allah) and the nightingale as (the lover/Hz. Muhammad), and when they are employed separately, symbolic discourses are constructed by emphasizing the structural features (smell, sound, etc.) of the rose and nightingale, and in both uses, these symbols are supported by a number of secondary symbols and metaphors (thorns, destiny (çarh-ı devran), etc.).

Âşık Veysel, symbol, rose, Nightingale, poem.