Analyzing the artistic portrayal of emotional landscapes in Kieu at the Tranquil Oasis

Prompt: Analyze the artistic portrayal of emotional landscapes in Kieu at the Tranquil Oasis

Analyzing the artistic depiction of romantic landscapes in Kiều at the Ngưng Bích Pavilion

I. Outline Analyzing the artistic depiction of romantic landscapes in Kiều at the Ngưng Bích Pavilion (Standard)

1. Opening:

- Introducing the art of depicting romantic landscapes in 'Kiều at the Ngưng Bích Pavilion'.

2. Main Section:

a. Overview of author Nguyễn Du and excerpt 'Kiều at the Ngưng Bích Pavilion':
- Nguyễn Du (1765 - 1820) is a national poet, a brilliant pen of Vietnamese classical literature.

b. Explaining the art of depicting romantic landscapes:
- The art of depicting romantic landscapes is the author's portrayal of nature, scenery to convey and highlight the sentimental mood of the characters in the work. This art is widely and meticulously used by writers and poets in their literary careers.
- Depicting romantic landscapes not only brings vividness and color to the scenery but also helps sentimental characters easily express their emotions while maintaining its essence.

c. Art of depicting romantic landscapes in the first 6 verses of the excerpt 'Kiều at the Ngưng Bích Pavilion':
- The poet uses the term 'spring lock' to signify the confinement of the noblewoman in ancient times, indicating that Kiều is imprisoned in the Ngưng Bích Pavilion.
- The vast, expansive space 'All directions are far-reaching' makes Kiều feel lonely and empty.
- The scene of 'distant hills,' 'nearby moon' suggests the image of Kiều being in a very isolated place, lost in the vastness of the land and sky.
- The cyclical time, closed off 'early clouds, late lights,' deeply engrains Kiều's sadness, making her more disheartened and weary.

d. Art of portraying sentimental landscapes in the following 8 verses of the excerpt 'Kiều at the Ngưng Bích Pavilion':
- The natural scenery beneath the Ngưng Bích Pavilion is only illuminated by the nearby moon, prompting Kiều to reminisce about Kim Trọng and the moonlit vows they made while sharing a promise of enduring love over wine.
- Not only recalling Kim Trọng, Kiều also remembers her parents, as she has not fulfilled her filial duty. The growing 'family roots' imply the increasing burden on her aging parents.

e. Art of portraying sentimental landscapes in the final 8 verses of the excerpt 'Kiều at the Ngưng Bích Pavilion':

- Each natural scene evokes different sorrows in Kiều.
+ 'Sadly watching the evening waves against the shore' suggests vast, expansive space, making Kiều yearn for her homeland with no certainty of return.
+ The scene of floating flowers on the water surface reflects Kiều's sadness about her fate, feeling like an aimless flower drifting, facing the uncertainties of life.
+ Nature, like coloring the character's mood, 'the grass is sadly rotten,' hints at the faded colors of the landscape, symbolizing the murky, directionless future of Thúy Kiều.
+ Intense nature, 'waves rolling with a crest,' foreshadows Kiều's impending misfortunes, creating a sense of impending doom for her.

f. Evaluation:
- The excerpt 'Kiều at the Ngưng Bích Pavilion' vividly describes the lonely, poignant situation and the loyal, filial heart of Thúy Kiều when imprisoned at Ngưng Bích Pavilion.
- The art of depicting the character's inner emotions is profound, using the technique of portraying sentimental landscapes to emphasize the character's emotional state.

3. Conclusion:

- Summarize the art of portraying sentimental landscapes in 'Kiều at the Ngưng Bích Pavilion'.

II. Exemplary Essay Analyzing the Art of Depicting Sentimental Landscapes in Kiều at the Ngưng Bích Pavilion (Standard)

'Every scene wears sorrow
Sadness accompanies those in joy, never far away'

Perhaps, nature is the true confidant and kindred spirit of any poet. Hence, nature has an immensely profound impact on the emotions of each sentimental character. Nature becomes more soulful and vibrant when writers and poets employ the artistic technique of depicting sentimental landscapes. It can be said that Nguyễn Du is a masterful talent in using this technique, evident in the excerpt 'Kiều at the Ngưng Bích Pavilion'.

Nguyễn Du (1765 - 1820) is a national poet, an outstanding pen in Vietnamese literature, showcasing deep humanitarian thoughts in his creations. His works often condemn and denounce the dark side of society that oppresses humanity. The excerpt 'Kiều at the Ngưng Bích Pavilion' is part of the second section, 'Family Changes and Wanderings,' in 'The Tale of Kiều.' After being deceived by Mã Giám Sinh, Kiều wanders into the mundane world. Overwhelmed by the cruel fate, she contemplates suicide but is prevented by Tú Bà. Tú Bà, fearing the loss of a significant 'asset,' pretends to care, gives misleading advice, seduces Kiều, and confines her to the Ngưng Bích Pavilion.

The art of depicting sentimental landscapes is widely and meticulously employed by writers and poets in their literary careers. We encounter Bà Huyện Thanh Quan portraying the scene 'Across the Ngang Pass,' describing only the scenery but deeply concealing a sad and indescribably lonely mood within the serene moonlight. The art of depicting sentimental landscapes is the author's portrayal of nature, scenery to convey and highlight the sentimental mood of the characters in the work. This art not only brings vividness and color to the scenery but also helps sentimental characters easily express their emotions while maintaining its essence.

Reading the first 6 verses of the excerpt 'Kiều at the Ngưng Bích Pavilion,' we can already perceive a natural scene saturated with sorrow:

'Before the Ngưng Bích Pavilion, the spring lock,
Distant hills, the moon near, together in bond.
All directions are far-reaching to the eye,
Golden sand, that bank, dust and distance away.
Disheartened, early clouds to late lights,
Half love, half scene, as the heart divides.'

The poet uses the term 'spring lock' to signify the confinement of the noblewoman in ancient times, indicating that Kiều is imprisoned in the Ngưng Bích Pavilion. Sorrow emanates from the scenery and slowly penetrates the mind of the sentimental character. The vast, expansive space 'All directions are far-reaching' makes Kiều feel lonely, estranged in a place of 'foreign land.' Looking into the distance, only vague mountains 'distant hills,' golden sand 'sandbank' with drifting dust, and nearby, only the solitary 'moon' as a companion, to express that Kiều is in a very isolated place, adrift in the vastness of the land and sky. Time, indifferent, keeps flowing in a closed cycle, enclosing 'early clouds to late lights,' like imprisoning her soul in a circle of continuous sorrows, making Kiều weary to the point of 'disheartenment.' The multiplying sorrows intensify, slicing through Kiều's heart both horizontally and vertically, 'Half love, half scene, as the heart divides,' so no matter how beautiful the scene is, Kiều remains melancholic.

Concluding the natural portrait in the first 6 verses of the excerpt, let's immerse ourselves in nature in the next 8 verses of the excerpt 'Kiều at the Ngưng Bích Pavilion':

'Thoughts below the moon, sharing a bronze cup,
Believing in dewdrops, awaiting the bright tomorrow.
Lonesome by the sky's edge,
Cleansing the worn lipstick, when will it fade?
Pitying oneself by the door tomorrow,
A warm fan, who warms those in this hour?
Sân Lai, how distant in sun and rain,
Perhaps the family roots have embraced someone's embrace.'

For ancient connoisseurs, Thúy Kiều remembering her lover Kim Trọng first and her parents later may seem ungrateful, but we should objectively assess the situation to evaluate the character. Here, since Thúy Kiều had to save her father and brother, she accepted to sell herself as a partial repayment to her parents. Thus, Kiều remembering Kim Trọng first can be considered reasonable. The natural scenery below Ngưng Bích Pavilion has only the 'moon nearby' to make Kiều reminisce about Kim Trọng, recalling the moonlight oath when they shared a cup of wine, promising lifelong loyalty. She thought everything was as if it were just yesterday, feeling pain as Kim Trọng was still unaware of her acceptance to sell herself while waiting for her in the distant Liêu Dương. Her heart, resolute as iron, made her feel ashamed and torn with the memories of Kim Trọng because she didn't know when she would 'cleanse the worn lipstick' that stain. After reminiscing about Kim Trọng, she sorrowfully recalls her family, the happy days of togetherness. She blames herself, 'Pitying oneself by the door tomorrow,' for not fulfilling her duty to her parents, unsure who will care for them as the 'family roots' grow larger each day.

It can be said that the last 8 verses of the excerpt 'Kiều at the Ngưng Bích Pavilion' most clearly demonstrate the artistic technique of describing sentimental scenes throughout the entire passage:

'Sorrowful watching the door in the evening,
Whose boat faintly spreads its sail in the distance?
Sorrowful looking at the newly sprouted water,
Flowers drifting, who knows where they go?
Sorrowful looking at the oil-soaked grass within,
Feet of mist, earth's face all in green.
Sorrowful watching the wind swirl,
The roaring waves echoing around the seat.'

Each natural scene evokes different sorrows in Kiều. The evening, already suggesting sadness, now intensifies as the sorrow spreads over the vast 'door' making the sadness expand and spread to everything around. 'Sorrowful watching the door in the evening' suggests a vast expanse, making Kiều yearn for her homeland with no clear return. In the midst of the vast river, a faint sail symbolizes Kiều's loneliness and disorientation in a strange place. Each time Kiều's sorrow becomes heavier, she looks at the 'newly sprouted water' with drifting flowers on the water's surface, evoking Kiều's sadness about her own fate. She feels like an indeterminate flower drifting aimlessly, unaware of its destination. Nature here reflects the mood of the character, with Kiều seeing the 'withered grass within,' symbolizing the faded color of the scenery, also an allusion to the vague and directionless future of Thúy Kiều. The intense nature, 'swirling wind,' surrounds her with the sound of the waves 'roaring' that brings unfavorable premonitions for her. The phrase 'sorrowful watching' combined with the accompanying natural images successfully expresses the escalating sorrow, becoming the leitmotif of Kiều's mood.