PENGAKTUALAN UNSUR MITOLOGI DALAM PUlSl GOENAWAN MOHAMAD DAN SAPARDI DJOKO DAMONO*)

Abstract

lndoiiesiaii literary writing today appears to contain
consi-derable adoption and actualization of mythological
stories coming fiom various parts of the country and fiom
abroad. Goenawan Mo-hammad and Sapardi Djoko Damono
are the foremost Indonesian poets now considered 'pioneers"
in actualizing mythological stories in poetry. A study therefore
aims at showing ( I ) the mythological elements actualized
in their poetly, (2) the forms of the hypograms of those
elements, and (3) tlie functions of tlie actualization of those
elements. The sources of the data for this study are
Goellawan's and Sapardi's poems published in an anthol-
OL3'.
The result oftlie study sho\vs that mythological elements
actualized in the poelns come from various mythologies in
the country which include stories of ~~~trj.crrPiagn, ji,
Anglingdatma, and Btrhutl Trrntrh./cru~ain d from those abroad
which include stories of Iskandar Zulharnain, Serihu Sulu
Molarii, and classic Greece. Though relatively not many, the
poems are considered important as they reappear in later
publications and the titles of some are even used for those
publications. The poems containing elements of mythological
stories as hypograms generally continue to use the conventions
of the mythology transfol~nedI.t indicates the two
poets' acceptance and response to mythology; they treat it
as it is as sotilething factual. The mythological elements actualized
in the poelns are made to fuliction either as materials
to support the theme or as materials for comparison, symbolization,
and cul-tural reference. Their use as support to
the theme can be regarded as offering another form ofstorytelling
and their use in the other ways can be regarded as
enrichment of poetical expressions.