Chairil Anwar

Abstract

More has been written about Chairil Anwar than about any other Indonesian writer. Even up till the present day his poetry has remained topical and the subject of what is sometimes fierce discussion. Evidence of this continued interest in him is provided in one of the 1965 issues of Basis (Basis) in which a large number of very recent publications devoted to this poet are mentioned.¹⁰⁹ And for the newest generation, the Angkatan 66, Chairil’s poems again formed a revolutionary inspiration.¹¹⁰ It is beyond the scope of this book to do justice to all those discussions, or to mention all the literature centred on Chairil Anwar. By no means all of it, for that matter, is of importance. For many young people Chairil Anwar’s poetry has proved to be a means of self discovery, and many essays give an analysis of this self discovery rather than of the poems of Chairil Anwar. Amongst the most important literature a place of honour must be given to the book by Jassin, a bibliographical documentary study,¹¹¹ notable for its compilation of much material on foreign influence. A great deal of valuable material is to be found also in the long paper on this poet by Jassin which is included in his first bundle of essays.¹¹² Another useful little book is Bora Api Kesusasteraan Indonesia (A Live Coal in Indonesian Literature), devoted to Chairil Anwar and published in Jogja in 1953.¹¹³ This poet has also attracted interest from the West.