Analyzing Nguyen Khuyen's Mood through Autumn Ode

Prompt: Analyze Nguyen Khuyen's Mood through Autumn Ode

Sample Essays: Analyzing Nguyen Khuyen's Mood through Autumn Ode

Sample Essay 1: Analyzing Nguyen Khuyen's Mood through Autumn Ode

From ancient times to the present, from the East to the West, autumn has inspired countless writers and poets: Li Bai, Du Fu, Bai Juyi, Nguyen Trai, Nguyen Du, Ho Xuan Huong, Nguyen Khuyen, Jacques Delille, Charles Baudelaire, Guillaume Apollinaire... In Vietnam, it was only with Nguyen Khuyen that rural autumn truly entered literature. The revered Tam Nguyen Yen Do has left many poems, but the trilogy of autumn poems consisting of Autumn Ode, Autumn Sonnet, Autumn Elegy, remains timeless. Let's appreciate the beauty of autumn scenery and explore the poet's mood through Autumn Ode:

The autumn pond, with its chilly, crystalline water,
A tiny fishing boat rocking gently,
The azure waves follow the gentle breeze,
The golden leaves sway lightly in the wind.
Above, layers of clouds float in the deep blue sky,
The bamboo gateways twist and turn, deserted.
Leaning against a pillow, embracing solitude for long,
No fish stirs beneath the rippling surface.

The scenery in Autumn Ode is not that of the northern autumn:

The forest rustles with scattered autumn leaves, The mountains and forests breathe out a faint, autumnal air.

(Do Phu)

Nor is it the autumn of the western world:

The north wind blows, the branches wither, Leaves fall scattered along the path, Each gust, leaves fall on the roadside.

(Jacques Delille - translated by Pham Nguyen Pham)

Far into the forest's edge, Deer cry echoes, Oh autumn, why do I love your rustling sound? Falling fruits need no picking, Wind and forest mourn, All tears of autumn fall one leaf at a time.

(Guillaume Apolinaire)

But indeed, it is the splendid autumn of the charming plains of Northern Vietnam.

The first six lines have depicted that scene:

The cold autumn pond, its water crystal clear, A small fishing boat, drifting gently, Blue waves following the gentle breeze, Yellow leaves swaying lightly in the wind, Layers of clouds floating in the deep blue sky, Bamboo lanes winding with sparse visitors.

If in the poems 'Autumn Dampness', 'Autumn Ode', Nguyen Khuyen successively describes scenes from near to far, from far to near, then in 'Autumn Elegy', the poet still follows the rule of proximity and distance of painting but combines two dimensions. Sitting on 'a small fishing boat, drifting gently,' the poet offers a panoramic view. The first viewpoint is the scene of the autumn pond. Indeed, in the 'Bui garden, buried old', there are many ponds because it is a delta region. The water in the pond is 'crystal clear' like a cute mirror reflecting the sky. The perception here is not only through sensation but also through intuition. The chill of autumn air gradually seeps into the richly emotional soul of the poet. On the already small pond, the boat on the pond is even smaller: 'A small fishing boat, drifting gently.' The word 'one' is very suggestive: evoking scenes of fishing and the solitary figure of the fisherman. The verse also evokes memories of the lonely sail in Li Bai's poetry over 1200 years ago:

She is an endless azure horizon.

(The solitary sail disappears into the blue-gray void).

Through this, the sentimental character seems to be immersed in the autumn scenery. It can be said that, by carefully selecting subtle and harmonious words: cold, crystal clear, drifting gently, Nguyen Khuyen has summoned the soul of autumn, the voice of autumn echoing in the Vietnamese rural villages.

Oh those two real lines, the poet continues to dot the soul of autumn in a masterful way:

Waves blue along a gentle breeze,
Golden leaves softly sway before the wind.

The autumn water surface isn't calm due to the passing autumn breeze. The faint returning breeze gently stirs the rolling waves, reflecting the azure sky. And for thousands of years, every autumn arrives adorned with the golden hues of grass and trees, never lacking in falling golden leaves:

Cornfields undulating, dew-kissed leaves
The world celebrates autumn
... Dewdrops nestle in golden chrysanthemum blooms.

(Nguyen Cong Tru)

Autumn floods the land with its gentle touch,
Golden leaves fall, oh golden leaves fall,
Adorning the path with countless golden leaves,
And there, amidst the breeze, a golden leaf
Twirls and dances in the golden autumn sun...
Ah! Sadness lingers over the cornfield,
Golden falls! Golden falls. Autumn vast and deep.

(Bich Khe)

The mulberry hues stain the distant hamlet,
Golden grass, crimson trees cast long shadows.

(Tan Da)

Here comes autumn, autumn arrives With a dress of fading dream, golden leaves.

(Xuan Dieu)

Yet, the image of the golden leaf in Nguyen Khuyen's poetry still carries its own beauty and impressiveness:

Golden leaves gently sway before the wind.

The autumn breeze continued to pluck the slender golden leaves, gently swaying and drifting in the serene space. According to Xuân Diệu, the venerable Tam Nguyên Yên Đổ displayed true skill in finding the flying speed of the leaves: 'sway' to correspond with the gentle ripple of the waves: 'slight.'

Poet Tản Đà also lavishly praised the word 'sway' in this line. The poet candidly stated that perhaps only once in his lifetime of poetry could he achieve such a satisfying line in the poem 'Autumn Sentiments, Bidding Farewell to Autumn:

Swaying, the fallen leaves fill the courtyard.

Later, poet Trần Đăng Khoa also had a 'wondrously inclined ear' to perceive the sound of the fall:

Outside the threshold, a banyan leaf falls, Its descent sounds as delicate as a slanting fall.

On the other hand, in the two statements, the bilingual artistry is finely tuned: contrasting: azure waves <> golden leaves; following='' a='' gentle='' breeze.

In the next two statements, Nguyễn Khuyến skillfully opens up the space to the upper level: Layered clouds linger in the deep blue sky Bamboo lanes twist around, void of passersby.

The deep blue sky has always been a symbol of the beauty of autumn.

Renowned national poet Nguyễn Du also painted a magnificent autumn scene in an immortal masterpiece:

Sparkling water reflects the sky, The city rises amidst blue smoke, mountains bask in golden shades.

(The Tale of Kiều)

In modern poetry, Nguyễn Đình Thi also penned verses deeply rooted in the human heart:

Autumn sky dons a new attire In its blue, it speaks and smiles sincerely.

(The Land)

This tender image appears in all three of Nguyễn Khuyến's autumn poems:

Autumn sky deep blue stretching high.

(Autumn Ode)

Whose hand dyed the sky such deep green.

(Autumn Dusk)

'Deep green' belongs to the green color family but is a pure hue across a wide range. 'Deep green' also evokes the 'depth, the calmness of space, the

the poet's enchanting gaze, of the old man fishing.' Adding to that 'deep green' sky is a 'floating layer of clouds' that looks very interesting, affectionate, and further enhances the serene beauty of autumn. Thanks to the view from the vast, spacious heights, the poet's soul is released back to the familiar village:

The bamboo lane curves around, devoid of guests.

The entrance to the house is not straight but 'curved around,' with simple bamboo and wooden poles. 'Curved around' evokes a deep, lingering feeling, looping, twisting endlessly to infinity. It seems like the villagers are now trudging through mud, enduring the scorching sun and morning dew on the fields. They are either tending to the lush green rice plants swaying in the gentle breeze or harvesting, sitting beside the golden rice piles. Thus, the rural road lacks the beloved footsteps: 'devoid of guests.' Therefore, the line: 'The bamboo lane curves around, devoid of guests' transports accumulated beauty. At the same time, the contrast in these lines highlights the autumnal grace in the Northern countryside.

Overall, the entire autumn scenery in the first six lines is perceived through the poet's keen senses and depicted with the skillful pen of an artist. The poetic picture is imbued with a green melody: green ponds, green shores, green waves, green bamboos, green sky, green water hyacinths, with a horizontal stroke of yellow from falling leaves' (Xuân Diệu). Moreover, 'the poetic picture has both height and width, depth, outstanding described images, and a harmonious combination of foreground and background' (Vũ Nho). Especially, the delicate combination of sounds: trong veo, tẻo teo, đưa vèo, vắng teo masterfully orchestrated by Nguyễn Khuyến contributes to creating a sharp, graceful still life painting.

The final two lines of the poem (lines 7-8) paint Nguyen Khuyen's mood:

Resting on the pillow, holding the rod for long, no fish to bite under the reeds.

As we know, in August 1858, the French colonialists bombarded Da Nang, officially invading our country. The Nguyen dynasty court was weakened, succumbing to the enemy's pressure one by one. Nguyen Khuyen himself was an official under the Nguyen dynasty. Serving as an official to 'worship the king, assist the country,' fulfilling the duty of 'intelligent military, loyal to the people' (both aiding the king and benefiting the people) was a moral principle that resonated with Confucian ethics, the standards of Neo-Confucianism. However, living in such a national context, if Grand Master Tam Nguyen continued to serve as an official, it would be no different from aiding the enemy, which was something that genuine Confucian scholars feared. Initially hesitant, he later decided to retire from his position and enjoy leisure at home. When he wrote this poem, Nguyen Khuyen had long resigned from his position: 'The Nguyen family officials have retired for a long time' (Legacy).

The poet 'rests his head on the pillow,' but in his heart, there are no fish to bite the hook. So what does the poet yearn for? In ancient literature, wise men often used fishing as a metaphor for waiting for the right time, waiting for someone with talent and virtue to come forward to assist the nation. During the Chu dynasty in China, there was Lao Zi, sitting by the Vị River, diligently fishing. It was not until he was seventy years old that he was invited by King Wen to participate in state affairs, in grand matters:

A man without fish, seventy times meeting King Wen.

(The man who doesn't fish / Seventy encounters with King Wen).

(Bach Cu Di)

Later, in China, there was also Zhuangzi holding a rod fishing in the Phuc River. The king of the state of So highly valued Zhuangzi, so he sent two great ministers to earnestly invite Zhuangzi to accept high-ranking positions, but he didn't even bother to turn back. Nguyen Khuyen was the same. Collaborators with the French colonialists like Hoang Cao Khai, Le Hoan did not relent on official matters with him. He had to serve as an official for more than 10 years before he could retreat to the Bui garden. So now, 'resting his head on the pillow, holding the rod,' Grand Master Tam Nguyen longs for peace, to immerse himself in the gentle autumn dream.

Suddenly, a familiar sound of the countryside resonated in the poet's ears:

No fish moving under the waterweed.

In Tang poetry, Song poetry, and medieval Vietnamese poetry (before Nguyen Khuyen), the sound of autumn was the sound of the cloth-beating paddle, the enemy blowing the horn that seemed to echo, the sound of crickets chirping in the quiet night, the anxious heart, the longing of the widowed woman... In Nguyen Khuyen's poetry, the sound of autumn is precisely the sound of 'fish moving under the waterweed' in a 'chilly autumn pond.' The word 'moving' in this last line not only captures the liveliness of autumn but also expresses the poet's melancholy thoughts about the country's precarious situation. The poet uses 'moving' to describe stillness because currently there is no talented person rallying the people to resist the French, to save the country from the deep darkness of slavery. It seems that the poet blames himself for being an official without achievements, feeling powerless when the people need him, living in seclusion, comfortable, withdrawing into his own world. It can be said that the poet's sorrow permeates every aspect of autumn, its colors, scenes, and sounds in the poetic painting of Autumn lamentation.

In summary, Autumn Lamentation is a masterpiece of landscape and sentiment description. The autumn scenery in the poetic painting is nothing novel or strange but carries the beauty of aesthetic norms and is very soulful, very Vietnamese. The sentiment of autumn is both discreet and profound: the earnest love for nature, the burning love for the country and its people. In terms of scope, the poem is like a love song about the beauty of the country, about the love for the country. Nguyen Khuyen's poetry, including this poem and many others, is characterized by simplicity yet vibrancy. The verses are concise, profound, and evocative. The art of selecting words and rhythms is extremely subtle, ingenious, especially the rhymes and the use of the 'eo' sound.

crisp, resonant. Four verses resonate. The last two lines both conclude the poem and express the poet's inner feelings.

Autumn Lamentation deserves to be one of the three most renowned poems on the theme of autumn in the history of Vietnamese poetry from ancient times. It's truly regrettable for those who love poetry, are passionate about poetry, but have not encountered Autumn Lamentation.

Above is the section Analysis of Nguyen Khuyen's Mood through Autumn Lamentation, the next article, prepare to answer the textbook questions, Impressions of Autumn Lamentation and along with the section Composing the Autumn Fishing Poem to study Vietnamese Literature better in Grade 11.

Sample Article 2: Analyzing Nguyen Khuyen's Mood through Autumn Lamentation

Nguyen Khuyen is the poet of the Vietnamese landscape, he is famous for his autumn poetry, he is distinctive and carries within him a pure soul and a love for his homeland, which is expressed through his artistic style of poetry.

Nguyen Khuyen is a talented individual, with a highly unique artistic style, he is skilled in perceiving to create artworks that are intimate and evoke a very gentle and extremely delicate feeling, all of which demonstrate a passionate attitude towards art. In the work Autumn Fishing, he demonstrated his artistic style, through the use of language, and thereby readers also assess an individual with keen observational skills and a relaxed attitude:

The cold autumn pond, clear water,
A small fishing boat floating gently.
The blue waves follow the gentle breeze,
The yellow leaves sway before the wind.

The author is perceiving every space of nature, flowing gently through each word, with the image of the cold autumn pond, here the author is expressing his soul, with a somewhat lonely emotion, and the poet's mood is also blending with the general atmosphere of the space, all creating a fresh and extremely attractive feeling for the reader, the poet goes fishing, but carries within him many emotions, here it can be understood as the emotions of people facing the circumstances of the time, the author is imagining new things, in nature, based on nature to express his own emotions. Just as the ancient poet said: 'One who is sad can never be happy.' So the poet is also carrying within him the deepest thoughts and myriad emotions mixed into the flow of the author's mood and emotions, the author is expressing the deepest feelings for the nation and for the scenery here:

Soft clouds float in the deep blue sky,
The bamboo alley twists with no guests in sight.
Leaning on the pillow for a long time, uneventful,
No fish stirs beneath the reed-covered feet.

In the above verses, the author has depicted the scenery of the rural areas of Northern Vietnam, and continues to express the sentiments of the poets towards the natural landscapes, imbued with profound loneliness and desolation, as seen through the myriad deep emotions and unique perspectives of the author and the tranquil space here.

The feelings of loneliness are interspersed with distant memories, emotions of the era. Although writing about the rural areas of Northern Vietnam, the poet's sentiment here also carries a heavy burden with countless worries, and the freshest perspectives, reading Nguyen Khuyen's poetry, we not only see the natural scenery unfolding but also the many hues of the soul burdened with its own emotions, those are the emotions of individuals in the era.

The scenery here is picturesque, yet guests are scarce, it also serves to prove that the country is facing difficulties, but virtuous talents are yet to be seen, hence, the author's soul is burdened with worries and contemplations about life, the author's life is overflowing with his own emotions, and it reflects a contemporary mood of the author.

With his own emotions, the author is expressing his feelings through the natural scenery, writing about the theme of nature but the natural landscape, and the human emotions are still deeply intertwined, it shows his own unique and special emotions, and especially, the author's soul is lost in a world of mixed emotions, between the endless human life and nature. The contemporary mood of Nguyen Khuyen, as we can see, is clearly evident in the last two lines:

Leaning on the pillow for a long time, uneventful,
No fish stirs beneath the reed-covered feet.

The last two lines carry the author's deep emotions to talk about an eternal love for the country, despite the poet's contemplation of the passing scenery, but always thinking about the country, wanting to serve the country. Sitting quietly and contemplating about the country, that makes the author suddenly startled when hearing the sound of fish, stirring under the reed-covered feet, this is an emotion and a soul that loves beauty, but a soul always thinking about the homeland, worrying about the homeland, that is all that the author has expressed in his work.

The author has expressed his heart through the work, which is the contemporary mood, and countless emotions, and the current mood is permeating through the emotions of each line of poetry, those emotions have created unique scenes and deep humanistic values in every melody of the work.

Sample 3: Analyzing Nguyen Khuyen's Mood through Autumn Ode

Author Nguyen Khuyen stands out in Vietnamese poetry with his collection of three autumn poems, among which the poem 'Autumn Fishing' can be considered a representative work discussing autumn in the rural areas of the Red River Delta, Vietnam. Through the poem, we perceive the beauty of the autumn picture and also feel the soulful beauty of poet Nguyen Khuyen.

The poem is a vivid and authentic autumn picture, not lacking in simple and familiar features, as it is expressed through the author's very delicate perception and depiction of the autumn scenery in the rural areas of the Red River Delta. In that very subtle perception, we recognize the love for nature, homeland, and country, as well as the sentiments towards the era of Nguyen Khuyen.

Firstly, speaking of the love for nature and homeland, to express this clearly, poet Nguyen Khuyen did not hesitate to use his multiple senses to feel autumn, utilizing visual, auditory, and tactile sensations and blending those feelings together, for example, in lines like: 'Golden leaves sway gently in the wind', 'The autumn pond, cold and clear water.' The author furthermore succeeded in describing that autumn because he himself was feeling that beauty on the land of his homeland, the poem reflects his love for nature in his own homeland. And surely Nguyen Khuyen was deeply attached, passionate, and had profound feelings for his homeland to truly feel the most authentic scenes of his homeland and depict that beauty with authenticity and delicacy. That poem carries within it the beauty of the national soul because it contains the author's love for the nature of his country.

In the poem, we can also discern the author's contemporary mood, which is one of noble spirit. This mood carries a sense of melancholy, sometimes quietly contemplative, and at times startlingly poignant, 'Golden leaves sway gently in the wind', 'Fish nowhere nibbles under the reeds'. This melancholy of the poet emanates from within and envelops every scene, imparting a sense of loneliness to the beautiful landscape, still retaining a hint of desolation, simplicity.

The posture of the angler and the scenery both exude a melancholic feeling, the angler does not sit in a normal posture but rather constrained, leaning on a pillow, though they go fishing to find comfort yet they are not comfortable, the image of bowing, head resting on knees surely indicates some contemplation. The serene space helps the reader somewhat feel the loneliness in the author's soul, as the author, a scholar of Tam Nguyên Yen Do, returns to live in the rural scenery, living in the rustic village scene yet the hearts still burdened by the issues of the times, pondering over the country's situation and always suffering from a 'shameful' sense of helplessness.

The waiting of the angler also reflects deep emotions in the author's heart, it is a weary wait in silence, only lonely with the sound of fish under the reeds, everything becomes empty, strangely silent, contributing to the increased tranquility and emptiness of the autumn space. The scene of autumn fishing can be seen as beautiful yet tinged with sadness, all scenes, movements are very gentle, the silence envelops all scenes but is evoked by very gentle movements. This is a very distinctive artistic technique, using motion to describe stillness, alongside the use of words like 'eo' in the poem further creates silence, stillness in the autumn scenery, further narrowing the confined space.

Through the poem 'Autumn Fishing,' we perceive in the soul of poet Nguyen Khuyen a deep bond with nature, an expression of love for the homeland, the country in secret. The autumn scenery is depicted very simply and peacefully, simple, bearing the characteristic traits of autumn in the rural villages of the North of Vietnam.