Analysis of an Excerpt from Sisters Thúy Kiều

Topic: Analysis of an Excerpt from Sisters Thúy Kiều

Analysis of an Excerpt from Sisters Thúy Kiều
 

I. Well-Structured Analysis of Sisters Thúy Kiều (Standard)

Introduce the excerpt from 'Sisters Thúy Kiều.'

2. Body of the Essay

- The first four lines of poetry: Introduction to the background, roles within the family of the sisters Thúy Kiều.
- The next four lines of poetry: Describing the features of Thúy Vân.
+ Full, gracious facial features; curved, beautiful eyebrows; fair skin, soft and glossy hair.
+ Dignified and elegant personality.
+ It's a beauty that makes nature yield its place...(Continued)

>> See the detailed analysis outline of Sisters Thúy Kiều here

II. Sample Essay Analyzing an Excerpt from Sisters Thúy Kiều (Standard)

If Xuân Diệu, the latest poet among the emerging talents in modern Vietnamese literature, takes humans as the standard for the beauty of nature, then the literary giant Nguyễn Du measures the beauty of humans using nature as a yardstick. This difference is brilliantly showcased in an excerpt from 'Sisters Thúy Kiều'—one of the most iconic passages in his timeless work, 'The Tale of Kiều.' This masterpiece has engraved Nguyễn Du's name in literary history for centuries.

Opening the excerpt, the author directly introduces the background and familial hierarchy of the sisters Thúy Kiều and Thúy Vân:

'At the forefront, two fair maidens stand
Thúy Kiều the elder, Thúy Vân younger by hand
Born of noble blood, spirits pure and grand
Each unique, a perfect ten in beauty's command.'

They are the firstborn daughters of the external Vương lineage, a family classified as 'ordinary middle class' within the Ming dynasty in China. Thúy Kiều, the elder sister, followed by her younger sister Thúy Vân, both epitomize beauty. Their charm is likened to Princess Hằng Nga on the moonlit bow. The grace of both maidens resembles slender plum blossoms; their spirit and soul as pure as snow. Though each possesses distinct beauty, together, they embody perfection 'in full measure, perfect ten.' How many in the mortal realm can boast such flawless beauty?

In the usual sequence, Nguyen Du should have described the beauty of the elder sister first before portraying the beauty of the younger sister. However, he did the opposite. Could this be a deliberate choice by the author? Thúy Vân receives four lines of poetry from Nguyen Du to depict the 'elegant' beauty of this young lady:

'Vân, behold the elegance rare
Moonlit visage with grace beyond compare
Flowers smile, pearls in discourse declare
Clouds yield to hair, snow concedes the skin so fair.'

Thúy Vân's beauty is described as 'elegant' and 'graceful,' setting her apart from ordinary women. Her round face is as full as the moon on a clear night. Prominent on that refined countenance are her gracefully arched eyebrows. Thuý Vân's beauty makes flowers and pearls smile in surrender, even clouds concede to the luster and softness of her hair, and snow yields to the fairness of her skin. 'Moon,' 'flower,' 'pearl,' 'cloud,' 'snow' were considered benchmarks of beauty in ancient beliefs. Nguyen Du employs these elements to illustrate the lofty and dignified beauty of Vân. It seems nature bows, humbles itself before her majestic and poised beauty. The verbs 'yield' and 'concede' clearly express this. People often believe in destiny, and many readers interpret these verses to mean that Thúy Vân will have a more peaceful life, with fewer challenges than her elder sister, as her beauty commands admiration from nature itself.

In contrast to the noble beauty of Thúy Vân, Kiều possesses a 'sophisticated and charming' allure:

'Kiều possesses a captivating and exquisite charm
Comparing beauty, her talent surpasses the norm
A cascade of autumn grace, strokes of spring warm
Envy blooms, willows green, concede and implore.'

'Each with a unique charm, a perfect ten in beauty's spell,' but 'comparing beauty and talent,' Thúy Kiều outshines her younger sister. The author highlights key features of Thúy Kiều's face, with a particular emphasis on her mesmerizing eyes. Kiều owns eyes as clear as autumn water and eyebrows as delicate as spring mountains. Describing her eyebrows, Thanh Tâm Tài Nhân writes: 'Thúy Kiều's small yet long eyebrows, eyes bright and clear, a countenance akin to the autumn moon, complexion rivaling cherry blossoms.' This distinctive beauty arouses jealousy and resentment even from flowers and willows. Nature itself seems envious of Thúy Kiều's charm. The artistic use of personification, along with verbs like 'bloom,' 'concede,' and 'implore,' vividly conveys nature's discontent. Nguyen Du masterfully portrays Thúy Kiều with rich imagery and evocative language, simultaneously foreshadowing her complex destiny. The leveraged technique of describing Thúy Vân first and then Thúy Kiều effectively highlights Kiều's portrait. While Thúy Vân's portrayal focuses on external beauty, Thúy Kiều is depicted in both physical allure and exceptional talent:

'One leans, one stands, waters and mountains bow
Beauty claims one, talent adorns the other more
Inherent wisdom, a gift from the skies
Fusing arts of poetry and music, a fragrance that never dies
Among the five musical notes, a masterful bow
In a world of strings, Kiều's melody outshines all, we avow
Her composition, a silver destiny, resonates with the hearts of all now.'

The beauty of Thúy Kiều captivates, causing others to lose themselves in admiration. Nguyen Du asserts that in the human realm, only Thúy Kiều possesses such beauty. Regarding her exceptional talent, few match Thúy Kiều's prowess. Her innate intelligence encompasses mastery of zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Thúy Kiều excels in the five musical notes: Cung, Thương, Giốc, Chủy, and Vũ. Her most outstanding talent, unmatched by any, lies in the mastery of the Hồ cầm (Dan Tranh). She composes a piece titled 'Silver Destiny,' a melody that elicits compassion and touches the soul of anyone who listens.

Nguyễn Du crafted the final four verses of this passage to illustrate the elegant and noble demeanor of the two sisters:

'Elegantly adorned in pink attire
Spring hues approach the weekly attire
Gracefully draped, veils fluttering like a playful satire
Through the winter wall, bees and butterflies retire.'

Following Chinese customs, young girls at the age of 15 would wear the trâm, symbolizing readiness for marriage. Despite this, the sisters remain 'gracefully draped, veils fluttering' and indifferent to the suitors who come with proposals. The phrase 'to anyone' is not absolute indifference but a way of rejecting suitors with the sophisticated and elegant demeanor of Thúy Kiều and Thúy Vân. Though at the age of marriage, they remain uninterested in their future husbands.

In this excerpt, the poetic form of lục bát, combined with symbolic and imaginative language, allows Nguyễn Du to vividly portray the portraits of these two extraordinary beauties. The poet exhibits remarkable skill in depicting the unique beauty of the Kiều sisters. Simultaneously, he paints a canvas of their diverse destinies using different hues.

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Next to the analysis of the excerpt about Sister Thuy Kieu, to grasp the content and value of the passage, you can refer to: Appreciating the beauty and talent of Thuy Kieu in Sister Thuy Kieu, Comparing the charm of Thuy Van and Thuy Kieu as portrayed in the excerpt from Sister Thuy Kieu, Analyzing the portrait of Thuy Kieu in the passage Sister Thuy Kieu, Composing an essay on Sister Thuy Kieu.