Literary Nationalism in Indonesia: Modern literature and its Development

Abstract

The concept of nationalism has frequently been used to classify and analyze a range of cultural expressions, including literature. For the newer nations of the world, it has been discussed in the context of the post-colonial experience as one of the themes commonly discernable in the modern literature of the nation in question. Indonesia falls into this category; nationalism has been viewed by scholars as an important element in some of its modern literature. This paper considers the way nationalism has been identified and interpreted in modern Indonesian literature and draws parallels from the experience of the United States which is also discussed. It concludes that Indonesian literature displays a similar type of literary nationalism and that this is a more accurate classification than the distinction of certain nationalist works or authors.

Exploring the Evolution of Indonesian Poetry: A Comparative Analysis of Classical and Contemporary Expressions

“…New Directions in Modern Indonesian Poetry by Iskandar: Iskandar's study explores the transition from classical to modern poetry in Indonesia, focusing on the works of key figures in the early 20th century. The study emphasizes the shift from traditional forms to free verse and the emergence of contemporary themes related to nationalism and identity (Fanany, 2018).…”