Snow explores poetry’s relationship to spirituality, God, and happiness. Poetry is a symbol for many of the characters in Kars: It seems like nearly everyone Ka encounters is a poet, from Muhtar (İpek’s ex-husband and a “failed” poet) to Blue, who notes his poems in his execution letters. Even during the coup, Muhtar asks Ka if he can show his poems to their friend Fahir, who works for a publisher in Istanbul.

Necip tells Ka, “Only people who are very intelligent and very unhappy can write good poems” (135). Ka’s unhappiness in Frankfurt, however, does not lead to poetic inspiration but to a very long creative block. When people ask Ka about how he writes poetry, Ka is unsure how to answer and often falls back on the enigmatic response that God sends him poems. However, Ka’s poetic process as the narrative depicts it contradicts the idea of the solitary, divinely inspired artist. Ka is inspired by the people around him and frequently uses exact quotes from the people of Kars in his poems. Ka embraces his sense of connection to humanity, and this plays a part in his growing faith in God while he is in Kars.