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1. This History Thread is about the poetry of Burma (Myanmar) + political resistance. Myanmar is a place where poets are significant politically as well as culturally. This is a brief overview & doesn’t include all important poets. Inspired by K Zar Win: #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar
2. From ancient times lands which would become Burma resounded with poetry. Bards like Kachin Jaiwas recited epics. Court poets incl. Arakan’s Muslim poets such as Alaol & 16th C. Lanna’s Queen Hsinbyushin Medaw composed odes, ballads, verse plays. Ainggyin were sung in villages.
3. When Britain colonized Burma late 18th C. some poets resisted with words. Thakin Kodaw Hmaing wrote influential Laygyo gyi poems incl. “On Boycott.” 1930s Khitsan poetry movement used formal rhyme structure, emphasized local culture. Min Thu Wun was a prominent Khitsan poet.
4. Independent Burma post WW2, “New Writing” poetry movement appeared, Marxist political, poems by Dagon Taya & others meant to be understood by anyone. Those poets feuded with with Khitsan poets. (Taking poetry seriously: good! Factionalism: not so good?) https://www.poetryinternational.org/pi/article/23820/One-true-Burma-star/nl/tile
5. Military took over Burma 1962 coup, banned political poetry, arrested Dagon Taya. Translated poetry influenced Moe Wei “Modern” free verse. Some secretly distributed political poems. Former political prisoner Aung Cheimt is one of great Modern poets. https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/aung-cheimt-brokers-no-compromise-in-his-art.html
6. In Burma's cities & towns poets gathered in tea shops like Rangoon’s Lay Htan Kone & Lay An Kone to discuss literature & (carefully) politics. A tea shop owner recalled, “poets spend most of their time arguing over poetry concepts.” https://www.mmtimes.com/lifestyle/7479-a-tea-shop-steeped-in-inspiration.html
7. Tin Moe, whose poetry was beloved by children & adults, participated in 1988 Democracy uprising & was imprisoned for 4 years. His poems & even mention of his name banned in Myanmar (Burma) he escaped to the US, where he died in exile, longing for home. https://juniorwin-english.blogspot.com/2017/02/memorial-of-burmese-poet-u-tin-moe.html
8. Students who fled after ’88 uprising wrote poems of ordeal & revolution. Many poets arrested late 20th C. Myanmar incl. Kyaw San (Cho Seint) severely beaten 1997, released 2004. Hla Aye described (C. Fink 2001) political prisoners composing poems that could not be published.
9. With non-Burmese languages & cultures under attack by Burma (Myanmar) regime, ethnic literature became political cause in many regions. In areas controlled by Ethnic Armed Organizations & elsewhere, ethnic publications have often featured poetry (revolutionary & other topics.)
10. In 1990s Khit Por poetry style (emotional) very popular. Under Myanmar military rule, the poems sometimes disguised political messages. 2008 Saw Wai imprisoned for Valentine poem with a somewhat hidden message: “Power Crazy Senior General Than Shwe.” https://www.huffpost.com/entry/a-protesting-poet-pays-de_b_143940
11. Maung Chaw Nwe was a prominent late 20th C. poet of Burma (Myanmar) who remains popular. He called poetry “a karmic disorder and a leprosy of retribution” & wrote “ A poet is/A rope knotted in pain.” (transl. Kenneth Wong) http://kennethwongsf.blogspot.com/2013/09/after-my-dinner-with-blue-star-by-maung.html?view=sidebar
12. Innovation even under repression, censorship. Around 2004 “Language Poetry” appeared in Myanmar as postmodern alternative to perceived sentimentality of popular Khit Por (another Feud.) Obscure language may have made political content harder to censor. https://jacket2.org/commentary/language-oriented-poetry-myanmar
13. With official censorship removed poetry was one of the art forms in renaissance in Myanmar after 2011. A bilingual anthology of contemporary poetry “Bones Will Crow: 15 Contemporary Burmese Poets” was published to international acclaim in 2012. https://www.sampsoniaway.org/literary-voices/2013/09/14/bones-will-crow-revisited/
14. ko ko thett was arrested in 1996 student protests; exile until 2015. His poems use expressive language to critique development, propaganda, class: “playing football in the downpour with those low-income diseases.” Translates Burmese poetry to English.
15. Myanmar's poets incl. Zeyar Lynn (form innovator), Pandora (ed. “Tuning: An Anthology of Burmese Women Poets.”) & Ma Yway (“millennial feminist ferocity.”) 2017 Pandora quoted Nay Phone Latt: “We are free now but we are not sure whether we are safe.” https://projectplu.me/portfolio/interview-pandora/
16. In recent years writers in ethnic regions are reclaiming & promoting their languages, culture, literature. For example, Chin poet Anna Biak Tha Mawi (Aidii) who is also a film-maker, painter & textile craft entrepreneur.
https://sadaik.com/2019/08/26/sadaik-shorts-i-am-poetry-dont-you-cry/
https://sadaik.com/2019/08/26/sadaik-shorts-i-am-poetry-dont-you-cry/
17. 2015 when NLD won Myanmar election, 11 poets among elected MPs. Included Tin Thit (Yee Mon) whose opponent was former defense minister (pen defeated sword.) Following Feb. 1, 2021 coup, military arrest warrant for Tin Thit (Yee Mon) CRPH Spokesperson. https://coconuts.co/yangon/lifestyle/why-so-many-poets-were-elected-parliament-myanmar/
18. A poetry performance group was imprisoned in 2019 for satire of armed forces. Poet/activist Maung Saungkha jailed 2015-16 for poem apparently mocking former President. He was also convicted in 2020 for protesting Rakhine & S. Chin internet shutdown. https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-bizarre-trial-of-a-poet-in-myanmar
19. Poetry helps sustain Rohingyas who fled Myanmar genocide to refugee camps. @AliMayyu is a widely published poet & memoirist. Myanmar 2020 Poetry for Humanity featured Rohingya poets. Muslim poet Than Toe Aung has inspired interfaith peace efforts. https://www.pri.org/stories/2019-01-23/spoken-word-poet-myanmar-speaks-out-against-hate-and-injustice
20. Here is a link to “Train a Comin': Poems from the Burmese Resistance.” The page includes poems written in February & March 2021 by Pandora and Zeyar Lynn in response to the coup. Also K Zar Win’s “A Letter from a Jail Cell.”
https://jacket2.org/commentary/train-comin-poems-burmese-resistance
https://jacket2.org/commentary/train-comin-poems-burmese-resistance
21. Poet K Zar Win was in 2015 student movement, was imprisoned. Protesting Myanmar coup in Monywa March 3, 2021 he was shot by police/soldiers & his body dragged away. March 3, Myint Myint Zin (Kyi Lin Aye) teacher & poet was killed protesting in Monywa. https://pen-international.org/news/myanmar-two-poets-among-dozens-of-unarmed-protestors-killed-by-military-junta
22. Sources incl.: U On Pe, Atlantic 1958; N. Thompson, SEA Globe 2013; Maung Day, Brit. Council ’16; Aman Ullah, Rohingya Post ’19; L. Stewart, Sadaik blog; Kenneth Wong blog; Zeyar Lynn, C. Bernstein, S. Pears in Jacket2. https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/myanmar-burma-storybook-democracy-poetry-petr-lom/
23/23. This History Thread is dedicated to the memories of poets K Zar Win and Myint Myint Zin: Rest in Power.
Links to my other History Threads & reports about Myanmar are at http://www.projectmaje.org
Links to my other History Threads & reports about Myanmar are at http://www.projectmaje.org
