Chairil Anwar (died April 28 1949) is probably one of the most famous Indonesian poets. He is a legend of his own.
Deceased at a very young age in 1949, Chairil left a trace of greatness in his poems.
Notably, one of his most famous poem was "Aku". It's a poem that come from a wound of having to left his father who cheated his mother. But Chairil expression of personal pain and rebellion was interpreted by many Indonesian as a call of arms. His poem "Aku" is mostly used in rally and protest as a declaration of rebellioun.
In fact, Chairil is indeed a rebellious person. He lives on the street of Jakarta and befriend many upper class. His uncle happens to be one of Indonesian Prime Minister, but never once did he took advantage of that position. Instead, Chairil stayed on the streets or at the hut his mother builds.
Chairil, together with Asrul Sani and Rivai Apin, was the poets behind Generation 45 ("Angkatan '45"). That movement signifies a change in Indonesian literature.
Smart, short and "unflowerful" words were to be the heights of "Angkatan '45". This defy the previous generation of poet such as Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana, whose poems mostly still uses "traditional" lyrics, rhyme and structured form (derived from the Pantun).