The Gift of Approach to Literature that “Grounded” *

Written by Suryanto Sastroatmodjo
Translated by Agus B. Harianto
http://pustakapujangga.com/?p=638

About 15 years ago, Pamusuk Erneste (in the book “Pengadilan Puisi ” published by Gunung Agung Jakarta, 1986), illustrates how far away it will when the universe of literature (inclusiveness of literary is dominated by several names, who wants to survive as an idol, and not as a creator), until the public of literature are disappointed. He mentioned Subagio Sastrowardoyo, Goenawan Mohamad and WS. Rendra at ’70s (after enjoying the fame nearly more than 25 years, while their cadres increasingly dimmed at that time), causing a group of young poets who feel they must act to restore the world of literature at the corner of neutral sight and balanced, in harmony with the rising demands.

The master of literary HB Jassin mentions; literary credo is an exemplary moral, a gentle individual empathy, do not be politicized it with the imperative elements. I call it as poetic obscure camera if we want to put glasses of observation in the cultivation of the work, especially if we want to expose the historical and monumental creative works. Sometimes the young poets ignore impression. However, the educated postulant instead hopes; for the sake of poetic metaphors have fairly modus operandi, honestly, harmoniously.

During FKY on 80 to 90s eras, moreover about the rise, this kind of affirmation of the creed, how it must be admitted, many of the names of the creators were covered, while some had names, and want to always exist in the universe of Indonesian Literature. So far, even this must be admitted, that the literary habitats are very diverse, and different; obsessions of literary proclamation must also be recognized further.

In early 1977, when the young poet Yogyakarta, gathered in Gunung Jala Sutra, and pledged “the poetic council of jala sutra,” the five of us; Djudjuk Sagitaria, Minadi S, Kuswahyo S. Rahardjo, Fuad Riyadi and me myself. We announced: “There is no dead poets, there no poets are gone, there are no sphere of creation disappeared, however, Yogyakarta, should be able to generate continuously, the whole productive passion of creation.”

Two years later, together with cultural observer Yoyok Hadi Wahyono, Keliek Moh. Nugroho, in a meeting at the dawn on the Bukit Ratu Boko Prambanan, we were having a new song: “Literature is the Home of Peace that it must be able to accommodate their work’s activities, who writes poetry is like a river flowing, the tinkling on the skyline. Behind that depth, we must dare to sue and accuse ourselves, when stagnation arrived, and unfriendly. ”

It is thin and pragmatic that the prime poets of 80s, such as Otto Sucatno CR, Redi Panudju, Anton Taufan Son, Abidah El Khaliki, Ulfathien CH and Dorothea Rosa Herliani, — we see these 3 female literary based on Yogyakarta’s literary, could “set into our culture of the ideas of virgin’s anxiety ” in the era of liberation of the Spirit, to the Theology of Independence — reverberated far, while their legs still rests in the Indonesian culture, and serve selflessly.

It is real, how the potential ecological, emasi-patoris and applicative, has grown tougher, so that the female writer, is no longer ignored what is called gender problem that is now stretching out. The life via literary, and qua formaleus to have artistic activity that ran far, also in the odyssey of rumble, it should also still be sighted at, and adapted to the new sites, the very latest product-poetic.

Present graduation yet not be construed as a cutting-edge art, aka forward motion of the end of times, as I watched the poems of Nurel Javissyarqi, Sri Wintala Ahmad, Ahmad Syekhu, and because they are not talking about the era and then disappeared, but about partisanship, a simple denotation, comprehension and rhythm of the time.

Similarly, if we interpret the poem of Kuswaidi Shafi’i which is fully proverbs of “characterizing of the man” and the solidity of human kinds. As the results of an attitude is how we should talk wise, about making the life’s destiny as the main ideology, although we do not take shelter under His Word (directly).

At 1974, when a number of poets orated in front of the statue of Pak Dirman, led by Ragil Suwarno Pragulopati, they were rising anger from the members of parliaments, which were still having “Malari fever;” Catastrophe of January, opposition borjuisme of lifestyle and media of expression, while the populist patterns contained in a bunch of eulogy, seemed to formulation of proletarians.

At that time, the poet Fauzi Abdul Salam, recited ballad singing “Lantunan Tiri Pejalan Sunyi,” was felt roaring; Kalaulah waktu bicara sudah terpotong fiksi bincangan peraturan di gedung musyawara / dunia acapkali pangling dengan lambaian kasih / hidup bermuara pada selokan pahit anyir / dan ndoro-ndoro tuan tanpa cawat…/. Concerns of the children of “the people are more down to earth” rather than a number of government bureaucrats dream of DIY (among 70) which can only take the order “Long live to our indigene.”

Kololaria on arrogant memos often makes the poets in the 70-80s, often say these words: “Is not the nobility had a longer washing diamonds? / Is not the boy once lived at the side of river digging feces among the rocks of canal on the edge of the city? “– As Alfauzi Sofi Salam in his evening muse sues;” Perhaps we are long enough to cry, and shouted at by those who blaspheme, we are Indigene in destitution.” Equivalent to the singing of the songs of liberation, as the joking words to LSM (non-governmental organizations) that is shining together with street boys; poetry is more shining softly in the heart of the boy.

So, why the poet also had long since left profound sorrow of the children of the country? -So they get lost in the jungles of grief? – in the book of “Dalam Mempertimbangkan Tradisi, WS. Renda (Gramedia, 1983) reveals three creative anxiety: first, that if the artist or poet fought about the future of poem which is “tougher, more solid” then he should be able to select the various of old traditions, in order to obtain the clear sort out.

Second, metaphors of the poetic is a profit of the seriousness to make works, although it was significant affirmation of conscience. Third, he has self efforts to disengage from any tradition, to become the true with global format. Accordingly, the senior poet, Imam Budhi Santosa, once said: “We all need a tradition,” namely spiritual tradition which is not hampered by the space and time, but it tells of a wise world, intensive life. We also need intellectual tradition, in which the poet tries to transform accurate ideas, and at the same time be faithful to the previous habitat, in the concept of making art.

The poet, Sitor Situmorang, in his autobiographical book “Sitor Situmorang, Panyair Danau Toba” (pustaka sinar harapan Jakarta, 1981) mentions the birth of his monumental two anthologies of poems at the transition of the year 50s to 60s, ie; “Wajah Tak Bernama”, “Surat Kertas Hijau”, for the angle depiction; first , the poet must have part of the way of the world of reunion, between the mythical and innocent past, with the present days that tight, hard, arrogant, and almost without compromise. The second aspect, the effort to bring together the traces, inspired, sometimes the credo of composing to productive poetic works, by aiming to tomorrow that’s unpredictable by inductive consciousness, and collaborative indeed must be performed to the public of literature anyway, comes without any breaks, season to season.

At the present stage (where the center of last season was an artistic emotional stakes), then let the works find its identity, after encountering a variety of bull session. Evolutionary process shows situation of the literary with self-titled of self-discipline, then humility by sensible scientific attitude, it will inevitably be led to a conclusion; where the quality of the work came to an understanding of super noble, for any race) . -as such a Khalil Gibran, and also Rabindranath Tagore, who speaks loudly to the world. Therein lays the obscure camera of the poetic, shows the nature of the glory, which is really embedded tightly.

Perception of the literature for the young generation, would lead to clannish of human kinds, inter-ethnic, inter-individual, even inter-institutional. I hope, the literary anthologies, the literary journals, and bulletins about poems titled ” Selamatkan Dunia Ini, Selamatkan Jiwa-jiwa Luhur Nusantara (Save the World, Save Prime spirits of the Nusantara),” will undoubtedly legitimizes the top of present works and the future works. We still have to keep fighting. The institutions of literature that now has become an alternative, perhaps the first step toward maturity that hopes, because that’s where we glorify the real passion of making art.

Nagan Lor, 21, Yogyakarta.
*) Prologue of single poetry anthology “Sarang Ruh (Spirit’s Nest)” by Nurel Javissyarqi, 1999, Yogyakarta