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Essay Prompt: Analyze Bach Dang Estuary by Nguyen Trai
Best analysis of the poem Bach Dang Estuary
In the fifth and sixth lines, the author reminisces about the feats of the national heroes on the Bach Dang River. In the verse 'Official residences, a hundred and two, made by heaven's design,' the poet references words from the 'Historical Records' by Sima Qian to affirm the talent and strategy of the heroes who knew how to rely on the treacherous terrain of mountains and rivers to create great achievements. Next, he affirms and recalls the national heroes who accomplished feats on the Bach Dang River. That is the image of Ngo Quyen chasing and defeating the Southern Han army in 938. Or the resistance against the Yuan Mongol army in 1288 by King Tran Quoc Tuan. These two verses demonstrate Nguyen Trai's pride in the glorious and illustrious history.
In the last two lines, readers will perceive a shift in the poet's emotions. The two verses carry heavy contemplation and reflection of the protagonist on history and worldly affairs. The exclamation 'alas' in the verse 'Looking back at the past, alas, it's gone' expresses the author's regret upon reflecting on the past events. Now, everything is just history, belonging to a distant time. Standing before the natural scenery at the mouth of the Bach Dang River, the author contemplates the past, the heroic feats of the heroes, with a mind filled with nostalgia, unable to be fully expressed by the words 'Arriving at the riverbank, observing the scenery, thoughts overflow, words fail to capture it all.'
With the form of poetry consisting of seven lines with eight syllables each, employing parallelism and inversion techniques, rich descriptive language coupled with skillful integration of description, self-expression, and argumentation, Nguyen Trai aims to praise the national heroes who contributed to the country. The poem is the author's pride in the Bach Dang River - a place marked by many resounding feats.
As an exceptional talent, Nguyen Trai has left us valuable works. The poem is the crystallization of progressive thoughts and a heart that loves the country and cherishes the people, 'loyal to the nation, compassionate towards the people,' 'fair in the army, loving towards the country.' Surely, 'Bach Dang Estuary' will continue to live on in the flow of time.
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In the 10th-grade Literature program, Connecting Knowledge, Mytour offers many excellent 10th-grade sample essays that students can refer to, such as: Analysis of The First Leaf, Analysis of Rebel Soldiers, Analysis of New Sunlight, Analysis of Ancient Citadel Drums, Analysis of Proverbs, Part 3, or the essay Discussing a Social Issue with Different Opinions... to perform well in their assignments.
The exemplary essay Analyzing the Bach Dang Estuary achieves high scores for excellent students.
2. Superb Analysis of the Bach Dang Estuary - Sample No. 2
Nguyen Trai is not only a great poet but also a hero, a talented individual who made significant contributions to the resistance against the Ming army. To this day, his works remain valuable. Among them, we cannot overlook 'The Bach Dang Estuary.' Through this poem, the poet helps readers have a clearer understanding of the historic Bach Dang River, immortalized for generations to come.
First and foremost, the poem begins with the scene:
'Eagles soar, oceanic aura grandiose,
Elevating, contemplating beyond Bach Dang.'
Time and space are cleverly depicted by the author in the first two lines. 'Sóc phong' is the northern wind blowing over the sea in winter, its momentum fierce and powerful. It stirs up the sea, causing the waves to rise relentlessly, one after another, from one layer to another. The second line portrays the image of 'Khinh khởi ngâm phàm,' meaning lightly sailing poetic sails. It seems that the appearance of those sails makes the raging waves calm down, and the poetry becomes gentler. The opening two lines evoke a majestic and intense scene, yet also possess a romantic and sentimental touch, guiding the reader to explore the historical imprints on the Bach Dang River.
'Galloping through majestic mountain slopes,
Past precipitous cliffs towering resolutely.'
The author employs the metaphorical device of simile to describe the hills, mountains, and riverbanks around the Bach Dang River with images of 'crocodiles being chopped, fish being dissected' or 'stakes sinking, winches breaking,' 'piled up in disorder.' These images evoke thoughts of the outcomes of the fierce battles on the river. 'Crocodiles,' 'fish' symbolize the defeated enemy being 'chopped,' 'dissected.' The 'stakes sinking, winches breaking' also represent the defeat of the enemy. As many stakes, winches as many enemy soldiers perishing in battles. These things piled up 'disorderly,' making people think of the scenes along the Bach Dang River. From Nguyen Trai's poetry, we again feel proud of the Bach Dang Estuary - a place of vast beauty, grandeur, marked by the glorious achievements of the nation.
'Official residences, a hundred and two, made by heaven's design,
Prestige and prowess tested by the terrain.'
Nguyen Trai referenced the phrase 'Official residences, a hundred and two' in Sima Qian's Historical Records to affirm the precarious terrain of mountains and rivers. Alongside, it praises the talent and strategy of past heroes who knew how to rely on the terrain to achieve great feats. 'Prestige and prowess tested by the terrain' is a proud verse, subtly referring to the achievements of Ngo Quyen in defeating the Southern Han army in 938 and the victory of the resistance against the Yuan army led by King Tran Quoc Tuân in 1288. These four verses clearly demonstrate the national pride, the pride in preserving the glorious history of our people's independence.
After experiencing the emotional pride, the last two lines express some thoughts of the author:
'Recalling the past, we sigh with regret,
Contemplating the scene, thoughts ascend.'
The two verses carry heavy contemplation, pondering of Uc Trai about the country's history. From 'alas, it's gone' expressing regret, astonishment about old stories. The author realizes that history offers posterity many valuable lessons. It could be lessons about strategy, creative battle tactics, or unique military arrangements of our ancestors,... However, how much do we learn from the past? The more we admire the magnificent scenery along the Bach Dang River, the more the author has countless concerns that cannot be fully expressed.
The poem is written in the characteristic form of seven lines with eight syllables each, with four parts: introduction, reality, argument, conclusion, revealing a vast, majestic landscape along the Bach Dang River. The author's use of rich, evocative language, parallelism, and inversion techniques makes the poem captivating. Reading the poem, one feels as if the glorious battles of the past are unfolding before their eyes.
Nguyen Trai is a talented poet, always remembering, honoring, and grateful to the heroes who contributed to building and defending the nation. 'The Bach Dang Estuary' has proven that. The poem not only expresses pride and arrogance about glorious achievements but also reflects the author's contemplation and concern about the nation's history.
3. Best Analysis of the Bach Dang Estuary - Sample No. 3
The Bach Dang River is a legendary river, a river of history, of poetry. It is where many important battles took place in the journey to protect the Fatherland. Therefore, it is not surprising that readers easily encounter works on the theme of the Bach Dang River. Some notable works include: 'The Splendor of Bach Dang River' by Truong Han Sieu, 'Bach Dang River' by Emperor Le Thanh Tong,... Among them is 'The Bach Dang Estuary.' This is a very good work, composed by the poet, the hero Nguyen Trai.
Nguyen Trai is an outstanding and prolific cultural writer. His literary legacy is vast, with works written in both Chinese characters and Nom script. 'The Bach Dang Estuary' is written in Chinese characters in the form of seven lines with eight syllables each, with four parts: introduction, reality, argument, conclusion. The overarching theme of the poem is historical and societal inspiration. Therefore, the emotional flow of the poem ranges from pride to contemplation, nostalgia when standing before the legendary river.
The poem begins, the Bach Dang Sea gate appears with a vast and majestic space:
'Northern wind blows over the sea, aura grandiose,
Elevating, contemplating beyond Bach Dang.'
'The north wind blows over the sea, the aura of grandeur' is the meaning of the first verse. When read aloud, one immediately senses the coldness, the chill of the 'northern wind' in winter. The sea wind always blows stronger, colder than on land. It combines with the 'aura of grandeur' - the fast, continuous movement of wind and waves, showing the strength of the Bach Dang Sea gate, as if preparing for a great battle. In contrast to the fierce, majestic scene in the above verse, the verse below has a 'gentle poetic sail' gracefully gliding across the sea's surface. This unexpected touch of sentimentality makes the atmosphere at the sea gate calm down, become gentler. The contrast between the sea and the boat makes the space even more majestic, vast, while the poet seems so small when facing that natural scene.
'Amidst jagged mountains and clear waters,
Through deep gorges and winding rapids.
Official residences, a hundred and two, by heaven's design
Prestige and prowess tested by the terrain.
The following four verses recount the historical feats, the imprints of history on the Bach Dang River. 'Crocodiles being chopped,' 'sharks being gutted' are metaphors for the disastrous failure of the enemy's invasion. They are fierce predators that once invaded our waters but were driven away, suffering a disastrous defeat. The verbs 'chopped' and 'gutted' make the verse more vivid and demonstrate the immense strength of our people. 'Poles sinking, spears breaking' piled up on the shore are the weapons of the defeated enemy left on the ancient battlefield. Thus, these two verses not only allude to the enemy's failure but also subtly express pride in the glorious achievements of the nation. In the next verse, Nguyen Trai quotes from the 'Chronicles' of Tu Ma Thien to affirm the talent of ancient heroes. 'Official residences, a hundred and two' represent the treacherous mountains and rivers. The meaning of this phrase is: as long as one knows how to exploit the terrain, defeating a hundred men is not difficult. Like the 'heroic heroes' of Dai Viet. With their cunning and martial prowess, they achieved countless victories in the Bach Dang region. Although the author does not directly mention names, we can clearly understand that they are Ngô Quyền, who expelled the Southern Han army in 938, ending over 1000 years of Northern domination for the Vietnamese people, and Tran Quoc Tuan - Hung Dao Vuong with the battle in 1288, repelling the savage invasion of the Mongol - Yuan army, the strongest in the world at that time. Through these four verses, Uc Trai skillfully expresses pride in the glorious history of the nation, in the heroes of the past, and in the Bach Dang River - a legendary river.
In the aftermath of pride, the author has some concerns, contemplations. This is clearly shown in the last two lines of the poem:
'Recalling the past, we sigh,
Lost in thought over difficult scenes.'
Standing before the Bach Dang River mouth, the author is filled with countless thoughts. These thoughts come unexpectedly and overwhelm Nguyen Trai, rendering him speechless, expressing his emotions only through the word 'alas.' Placed in the context of the poem, 'alas' is an exclamation expressing regret for past events. Standing by the river, admiring the scenery, the beautiful scene weighs heavily on the mind, laden with concerns about the nation and its people.
By employing various rhetorical devices and richly evocative language, Nguyen Trai has made 'Bach Dang river mouth' irresistibly captivating even to this day. With its remarkable content and artistic form, it is certain that the poem will retain its value and fame for generations to come.
Literary works written about the Bach Dang River share a common theme of praise and pride for this historical river. However, upon closer examination, each piece carries its own vitality and unique value. This distinctiveness stems from the inspiration and distinctive writing style of each author. In the case of Nguyen Trai, he has elevated 'Bach Dang river mouth' into a special, unique poem, distinguishable amidst countless other works.
In analyzing Nguyen Trai's poem about the Bach Dang estuary, it is essential to delve into the enchanting depiction of nature along the Bach Dang River and the profound emotions and contemplations of the sentimental character.
