Sapardi Djoko Damono

Sapardi Djoko Damono was born in Solo, March 20 th 1940. He is an Indonesian poet
known for lyrical poems, and who is widely regarded as the pioneer of lyrical poetry in
Indonesia. Sapardi attended grammar school at Sekolah Dasar Kasatriyan in his home town
of Solo and from there, he went on to junior and senior high school at SMP and SMA 2. He
was an avid reader from an early age, and was a frequent visitor to the local libraries around
Solo. His interests were broad, ranging from works of Karl May, William Saroyan, and
Pramoedya Ananta Toer, to comics by R.A. Kosasih. Eventually, Sapardi together with one
of his younger siblings, began a lending library in their neighbourhood.
Sapardi began writing poetry while he still in high school in Solo. After his
graduation from high school, Sapardi moved to Yogyakarta to study at the English Division
of the Literature Department at Gajah Mada University, and later completed his graduate
studies in Indonesian literature. During this period he also became involved in radio
broadcasting and the theater as well as writing poetry. Sapardi’s literary career developed
alongside his academic career.
After graduating from UGM, Sapardi taught in a number of places, including Madiun,
Solo, and Diponegoro University in Semarang, before moving to the United States for a brief
period. In 1937, after his return from the US, he became a permanent faculty member in the
Literature Department at the University of Indonesia. In 1989 he received his doctorate from
the same university, and in 1993 became a full professor.
His first collection of poetry, DukaMu Abadi (Your Eternal Sorrow), was released in
1969. The focus of DukaMu Abadi is on the pain of the individual who questions existence
and focused more on the human condition rather than revolutionary and social ideas. In 1986,
he received the ASEAN-sponsored SEA-Write Award for poetry.
One of his most popular works, Hujan Bulan Juni (A June Rain) was published in
1994. Containing 95 poems, including a selection of his poems from 1964 to 1992, the book
has been described as a kind of “greatest hits” of Sapardi.
Today, he is still a professor at the University of Indonesia. Sapardi’s extensive and
intensive involvement in the university has borne him the unofficial title ‘Professor of
Indonesian Poets’. His poetry continues to enjoy wide popular appeal. A poetry recital,
arranged to celebrate his 70th birthday in March 2010, was packed out with people of all ages
and from all walks of life, queuing to enter the venue.

Reztika Putri Hadiani

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