Chairil Anwar: Weaving Words That Never Die

National Poetry Day is commemorated every April 28 to honor the death of Chairil Anwar, a poet regarded as a cornerstone of modern Indonesian poetry. The commemoration of National Poetry Day aims to remember Chairil Anwar's significant contributions to the world of Indonesian literature. This observance also encourages public appreciation for poetic works.

Chairil Anwar, born in Medan on July 26, 1922, characterizes his poems with themes of death, rebellion or struggle, and individualism. His childhood and adolescence, spent during the colonial period, both under Dutch East Indies and Japanese rule, stimulated his thoughts to respond to the existing conditions.

Historian Anhar Gonggong expressed his opinion that the generation born during the colonial period can be divided into two types: the educated generation and the educated yet enlightened generation. The implementation of Ethical Politics in the early 20th century gave rise to a new generation that began to become literate in education. The indigenous people at that time began to receive basic education (for all layers) up to secondary and higher education (for the priyayi class).

Enlightened means how these educated individuals have at least minimal concern for their immediate environment. They became agents of change to alter the fate of their nation still shackled by colonialism. Chairil Anwar is one of the enlightened figures who participated in the movement towards independence through his works. A series of works produced during the colonial period depict the state of the times. An expression responding to the atmosphere of that era. This is what is called enlightened figures who are reluctant to sit idly by and watch the discrimination that occurs and the arbitrary policies of the Dutch East Indies government.

Like other fighters who struggled through other media with the risk of prohibition that could lead to imprisonment or exile, Chairil Anwar also took the path of moving and acting across boundaries according to his abilities. What is quite unique about his works is different from those of previous generations of poets; the use of Indonesian language, which was still in its infancy after the Second Youth Congress in 1928, made him a reformer as well as a pioneer of the 45 Generation, a new generation that shaped Modern Indonesian Literature. The new phase of Japanese colonialism gave birth to a new spirit of struggle. The slogans that emerged were strikingly different compared to the Dutch East Indies era.

Japan is known as a nation that has a great interest in the arts, including Indonesian arts. The attention of Japanese officials towards Indonesian arts was very significant. This inspired several Indonesian artists to seek ways to unite artists into a single entity. Artists should not be exploited by Japanese power. However, they also knew that the Japanese government prohibited the establishment of any associations (organizations). Therefore, several artists, including Anjar Asmara and Kamajaya, then met with Bung Karno to discuss this matter. It turned out that Bung Karno was willing to initiate the establishment of an Indonesian Arts Center to unite these artists, which was established on October 6, 1942 (Sutjiatningsih, 1981/1982).

The birth of the Indonesian Arts Center, initiated by Indonesian artists, was welcomed by the Japanese occupation government, which eventually established a cultural center called Keimin Bunka Shidosho on April 1, 1943, but was officially inaugurated on April 29, 1943, coinciding with the birthday of Emperor Tennoo Heika. In this Cultural Center, artists, painters, writers, singers, songwriters, theater performers, and sculptors were trained to dedicate their art to the god of war. They were used for the interests of the Japanese war. They were directed towards the slogans "Shared Prosperity" and "Asia for Asians," and were asked to create poems such as Cotton, To the Factory, To the Sea, and so on. In the Literature Section, young writers then formed a New Generation and held monthly meetings for discussions, lectures, and more. Here, a young writer named Chairil Anwar began to be known for his bold opinions. He did not want to pretend to be a mouthpiece for Japanese propaganda. He was unhappy with the Japanese government's efforts to divert the cultural spirit of the Indonesian nation and turn it into a war potential to win its interests (Sutjiatningsih, 1981/1982).

While national figures may have been lulled by Japanese propaganda bodies that seemed to offer promises of independence if they collaborated with Japan to realize the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, figures like Tan Malaka, Sutan Syahrir, including Chairil Anwar and others, chose a different path in achieving independence. Enlightened figures who had different views were certainly needed as individuals to balance the struggle.

Chairil Anwar made his ability to articulate words a weapon for struggle as well as a trigger and motivator to ignite the spirit of the fight. The choice of words in his poems succeeded in shaking and stirring the feelings of his readers. When we talk about the song "Indonesia Raya" by W.R. Supratman as the national anthem, then Chairil Anwar's poetic works rightly deserve to be called national poetry.

Happy National Poetry Day, express yourself through poetry in search of the next generation of Indonesian writers (20)45.

References

Sutjiatningsih, Sri. 1981/1982. Chairil Anwar: His Works and Devotion. Department of Education and Culture, Directorate of History and Traditional Values, National History Inventory and Documentation Project. Jakarta.

Aimmah, Muhammad Syamsul. 2018. The Contribution of Chairil Anwar's Poems in Motivating Indonesia's Independence 1945. Thesis. Sunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University. Bandung.