He was known for his slightly decadent, even licentious poetry often couched in the most staid of classical formats, but also for bringing the folk poetic forms of türkü and şarkı into the court.

[3][4] As the son of Kadı Mehmed Effendi, and a family vested in Ottoman bureaucracy, Nedîm's education is thought to be quite robust, including a variety of sciences, as well as "enough Arabic and Persian to write poetry.

"[3] Following this education, he passed an examination process led by Shaykh-al Islam Ebezâde Abdullah Effendi, and started work as a scholar in a madrasa.

[3] In this environment, which left little space to Nedîm's lyric style, he came to be known as the pioneer of his Nedîmâne school of poetry; emphasizing inventiveness, vernacular diction, and a certain licentiousness.

[3] His works suggest that he was aware of the innovative nature of his poetry, as he claims this status in multiple poems:[4] Ma‘lûmdur benim sühanım mahlas istemez Fark eyler onu şehrimizin nüktedânları My word is obvious, it doesn't need my name, The writers of our city can recognize it as mine.

[3][4][5] Nedîm's unique lyric style, vernacular vocabulary, and literary innovation had already caught the eye of many observers during this lifetime, including that of noted tezkire author Sâlim, who praised him as the taze-zebân (lit.

[11] His writing style, often described as "joyful" and "melodious",[7] was aimed at bridging the gap between folk and art literature; adopting the prose register of Ottoman Turkish, referring to beloveds in concrete, clear terms, and using a relatively narrow, local vocabulary.

[6][12] Tanpınar and Avşar both argue that there are traces of sadness in his poems that are more typical of Ottoman Diwan poems than vernacular Turkish poetry, which Avşar argues to be prominent in these lines:[6] Bir nîm-neşve say bu cihânın bahârını Bir sâgar-ı keşîdeye tut lâle-zârını Assume this world's spring to be half as happy, Assume its flowery [joy] to be a used wine-glass.

[3] Indeed, it is known that Nedîm had admired the poetry of earlier Diwan poets, such as Fuzûlî, Nef‘î, Bâkî, Yahyâ, Nev‘îzâde Atâî and Azmîzâde Mustafa Hâletî.

[4][13] Nevertheless, Karadavut also points out that his depiction of Constantinople frequently engages in symbolism and hyperbole more typical of Ottoman poets, which is seen in these lines:[13][14] Bu şehr-i Stanbul ki bî-misl ü bahâdır Bir sengine yek-pâre Acem mülkü fedadır [O], city of Istanbul, priceless and peerless!

[4] Ottoman poetic tradition, being an offshoot of Persian poetry, was one that often made use of highly symbolic, ideal beloveds and hopeless, desperate lovers, specifically in its lyrics.

Gültekin argues, using this line as well as the rest of the ghazal, that this is a criticism of the idealized beloved present in much of Ottoman poetry and that Nedim states, in satirical fashion, that a person of such standards can not be found in all of Constantinople.

Avşar argues that the "daydream" poem reflects Nedîm's pessimism, on how worldly pleasures can never truly mend his pains, and how the love that could do such a thing is purely imaginary.

[6] Avşar further argues that what could easily be perceived as satire of poetic tradition, can also be interpreted as an emotional outcry or even subtle political criticism, principally of the unsustainability of the Tulip Era, which would ultimately cause the Ottoman Empire to fall behind Western powers in terms of technology around 20 years later.

[16] Nedîm wrote his poetry during a revival of erotic sensibilities in the 18th century, about the time when the effects of the previous "conservative turn" was coming to an end, setting him apart from other poets of his era.

[9] Homoerotic themes can also be found in his frequent usage of the phrase serv-i revân (flowing cypress), which is a gendered term in the context of Ottoman poetic tropes, referring almost exclusively to tall men.

"[3] Furthermore, he seems to have been dismissive of earlier philosophical traditions, to the point of openly disliking both Plato and Aristotle, calling their supporters "confused"; whether this was his genuine thoughts is however still debated.