The Charms of the Nature vs. Realities of People Living alongside the Water in Indonesian Poetry

https://doi.org/10.22146/poetika.v12i1.95961

Ied Veda Sitepu(1*)

(1) English Literature Study Program, Universitas Kristen Indonesia
(*) Corresponding Author

Abstract


In Indonesia, a country in which 70% of its area is water, people relate easily to both the sea and inland water, such as rivers and lakes. Authors consequently also find inspiration in these bodies of water, expressing their admiration towards the beauty of nature. For example, while they originate from different literary eras, “Danau Toba” (Lake Toba) by Sitor Situmorang, “Sepantun Laut” (Like the Sea) by J.E. Tatengkeng, “Akulah Si Telaga” (I am the Lake) by Sapardi Djoko Damono, “Apa Kata Bintang di Laut” (What the Star Tells the Sea) by Iwan Simatupang, “Kali Martapura” (Martapura River) by Hidjaz Yamani, and “Perempuan Pesisiran” (Women on the Coasts) by Iman Sembada all reflect the dynamic portrayals of water in Indonesian literature, as a charm of nature from each poet’s perspective or a framework for criticizing the realities of the lives of the people who live alongside water. This research analyzed these authors’ interconnectedness with nature, employing the qualitative descriptive method and using ecocriticism theory, which explores how nature is depicted in the respective poems and connects human relationships to nature. The results showed that the poets easily relate to the river, lake, or sea, and aside from describing the beauty of nature based on fond memories, their poems are used as critiques of the changing relationship between humans and nature, as well as between humans and humans. Their portrayals of nature further reveal the feelings of belonging engendered by water, which they use as criticism for the destruction of nature and societal changes stemming from the need for progress.

Keywords


ecocriticism; lake; livelihood; river; sea

Full Text:

PDF


References

Carol-Dekker, L. (2018). Maritime Culture: A Sociological Perspective. International Journal of Maritime History, 30(2), 302–314. https://doi.org/10.1177/0843871418765711

Damono, S. D. (2014). Akulah Si Telaga. Jendela Sastra. https://www.jendelasastra.com/dapur-sastra/dapur-jendela-sastra/lain-lain/puisi-puisi-sapardi-djoko-damono

Dewi, N. (2017). Ekokritik dalam Sastra Indonesia: Kajian Sastra yang Memihak. Adabiyyāt: Jurnal Bahasa Dan Sastra, 15(1), 19. https://doi.org/10.14421/ajbs.2016.15102

Dewi, N. (2020). River, Resistance and Women’s Resilience in Indonesian, Malaysian and Vietnamese Fictions. LINGUA: Jurnal Ilmu Bahasa dan Sastra, 15(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.18860/ling.v15i1.7487

Fratila (Adam), A., Gavril (Moldovan), I. A., Nita, S. C., & Hrebenciuc, A. (2021). The Importance of Maritime Transport for Economic Growth in the European Union: A Panel Data Analysis. Sustainability, 13(14), 7961. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13147961

Giesen, W. (1994). Indonesia’s Major Freshwater Lakes: A Review of Current Knowledge, Development Processes and Threats. SIL Communications, 1953-1996, 24(1), 115–128. https://doi.org/10.1080/05384680.1994.11904030

Glotfelty, C., & Fromm, H. (Eds.). (1996). The Ecocriticism Reader: Landmarks In Literary Ecology. Athens: University of Georgia Press.

Hunt, K. (2024). One of the Largest Eruptions in Earth’s History Could Have Wiped Out Humans. Here’s How Scientists Say Some Survived. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/21/africa/toba-supervolcano-early-human-migration-africa-scn/index.html

Indonesia Window. (2020, December 8). Indonesia has more than 1,500 lakes. https://indonesiawindow.com/en/indonesia-has-more-than-1500-lakes/

Kementerian Luar Negeri Republik Indonesia. (2016). Indonesia at a Glance. https://kemlu.go.id/vancouver/en/pages/indonesia_at_a_glance/2016/etc-menu

Maulidah, A., Sujarwo, S., & Setiawan, B. (2022). Analysis Poverty of Fishermen’s Households in The Coastal Area of Ambulu District, Jember Regency. HABITAT, 33(1), 93–100. https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.habitat.2022.033.1.10

McGlynn, J. H., Herliany, D. R., & Cole, D. (Eds.). (2017). The Lontar Anthology of Indonesian Poetry: The Twentieth Century in Poetry. The Lontar Foundation.

Mishra, S. K. (2016). Ecocriticism: A Study of Environmental Issues in Literature. BRICS Journal of Educational Research, 6(4),168-170. 4(6), 168–170.

Poyk, S. D. M., & Pandjaitan, Y. A. (2016). Representation of Indonesia in Wonderful Indonesia’s Feeling is Believing Tourism Advertisement: A Critical Discourse Analysis. Paradigma, Jurnal Kajian Budaya, 6(1), 102. https://doi.org/10.17510/paradigma.v6i1.84

Population Reference Bureau. (2003). Ripple Effects: Population and Coastal Regions. https://www.prb.org/resources/ripple-effects-population-and-coastal-regions/

Rohman, S. (2015). Story of Big Flood in the Modern Indonesian Literary: An Ecocriticism Study. IJLECR - International Journal of Language Education and Culture Review, 1(1), 105–112. https://doi.org/10.21009/IJLECR.011.11

Rudiarto, I., Handayani, W., & Sih Setyono, J. (2018). A Regional Perspective on Urbanization and Climate-Related Disasters in the Northern Coastal Region of Central Java, Indonesia. Land, 7(1), 34. https://doi.org/10.3390/land7010034

Rusdiyanto, E., & Munawir, A. (2023). New Built Land Threat of Martapura River – Implementation of Environmental Sustainability in Banjarmasin City, South Kalimantan, Indonesia. Journal of Ecological Engineering, 24(5), 276–287. https://doi.org/10.12911/22998993/161759

Saleh, S. E. (2017). The Livelihood Strategies of Residents Around Limboto Lake. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 22(9), 44–50. https://doi.org/10.9790/0837-220908445044-50

Savitri, A., Wahyuningtyas, D., & Rizki, H. K. (2023, May 14). The Representation of Ecocriticism in the Novel Mata dan Manusia Laut by Okky Madasari. Nusantara Science and Technology Proceedings. 7st International Seminar of Research Month 2022. https://doi.org/10.11594/nstp.2023.3356

Schmutz, S., & Sendzimir, J. (Eds.). (2018). Riverine Ecosystem Management: Science for Governing Towards a Sustainable Future (1st ed. 2018). Springer International Publishing: Imprint: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73250-3

Sembada, I. (2018). Perempuan Pesisiran. Puisi-Puisi Pesisiran. https://steemit.com/poet/@imansembada/puisi-puisi-pesisiran

Simatupang, I. (2017). “What the Star Says Out at Sea.” In the Lontar Anthology of Indonesian Poetry (pp. 129–131). The Lontar Foundation.

Situmorang, S. (2014). Danau Toba. Jendela Sastra. https://www.jendelasastra.com/dapur-sastra/dapur-jendela-sastra/lain-lain/puisi-puisi-sitor-situmorang

Sriadi, S., Y.S., V. P., & Nurisnaeny, P. S. (2022). Kampung Bahari Nusantara as an Alternative for Multi-Sector Development of a Village. International Review of Humanities Studies, 7(2). https://doi.org/10.7454/irhs.v7i2.454

Tatengkeng, JE. (1974). Rindu Dendam. Jakarta: Pustaka Jaya.

UN Women. (2019). Ending Poverty. Retrieved September 5, 2023, from https://unwomen.org.au/our-work/focus-area/ending-poverty/

Widatun. (2006). “Satu Dekade Pembangunan Sumber Daya Manusia di Wilayah Pesisir (One Decade of Human Resources Development in the Coastal Areas: Achievements and Challenges (A Case of Mapur Island, Bintan Regency).” Jurnal Kependudukan Indonesia, 11(2), 119–132.

World Water Forum. (2024). 10th World Water Forum. https://worldwaterforum.org/



DOI: https://doi.org/10.22146/poetika.v12i1.95961

Article Metrics

Abstract views : 1374 | views : 558

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.




Copyright (c) 2024 Poetika: Jurnal Ilmu Sastra

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

ISSN 2503-4642 (online) | 2338-5383 (print)
Copyright © Poetika: Jurnal Ilmu Sastra under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

free web stats View My Stats