Aku

"Aku" (meaning "Me") is a 1943 Indonesian-language poem by Chairil Anwar. It reflects his individualistic nature and vitality. Poem Release Anwar first read "Aku" at the Jakarta Cultural Centre in July 1943. It was then printed in Pemandangan under the title "Semangat" ("Spirit"); according to Indonesian literary documentarian HB Jassin, this was to avoid censorship and to better promote the nascent independence movement. "Aku" has gone on to become Anwar's most celebrated poem. Indonesian writer Muhammad Balfas notes that one of Anwar's contemporaries, Bung Usman, wrote "Hendak Jadi Orang Besar???" ("So You Want to Be a Big Person???") in response to "Aku". Balfas suggests that Usman was greatly irritated by the "vitality and new way of life" that Anwar showed in the poem.