Wikipedia:Today's featured list/May 1, 2020

Chairil Anwar
Chairil Anwar

Indonesian author Chairil Anwar wrote 75 poems, 7 pieces of prose, and 3 poetry collections. He also translated 10 poems and 4 pieces of prose. The majority of Anwar's original poems are included in his collections: Deru Campur Debu (1949), Kerikil-Kerikil Tajam dan yang Terampas dan yang Putus (1949), and Tiga Menguak Takdir (1950). In 1942, he wrote "Nisan" ('Gravestone'), which is generally considered to be his first poem. He wrote extensively during the Japanese occupation (1942–1945), at times having to change his poems to avoid censorship; for instance, the title of his best-known work, "Aku" ('Me'), was temporarily known as "Semangat" ('Spirit') to avoid censorship based on themes of individuality. After his death Anwar was criticised for plagiarism, with several works revealed to have been uncredited translations of foreign poems. His original works, unlike poems by earlier writers, used everyday language in an unusual manner in his poetry, mixing in words from foreign languages. (Full list...)

Recently featured: