Analyzing the Beauty of Soldiers in the Poems Comrades and Non-Glass Squad

Assignment: Analyze the beauty of soldiers in the poems Comrades and Non-Glass Squad

a. The portrayal of soldiers in both poems depicts individuals rich in determination, resilience, acceptance, disdain, and the ability to overcome all challenges with an optimistic spirit

- Comrade:

+ The imagery of soldiers facing scarcity, chilling fevers, 'foreheads moist with sweat,' 'tattered shirts on shoulders,' 'pants patched in scraps,' and 'bare feet without shoes.'
+ Despite these hardships, the soldiers consistently exude an optimistic spirit. The image of 'smiles freezing cold' epitomizes their optimistic attitude, dismissing every trial and tribulation.

- Poem about the squad without windshields:

+ Mastering the art of structured repetition with the intriguing twist of 'no more ... but ...' alongside employing the loop structure of 'not yet needing....' and unique poetic images like 'whimsical cigarette smoke rings' and 'swiftly drying breeze.'
→ Clearly capturing the optimistic spirit of the truck drivers on the Truong Son trail during the resistance war against the Americans.

b. Portrayal of soldiers with a profound and noble comradeship

- Comradeship: the bond of comradeship runs as a consistent thread throughout the entire work, and perhaps because of this, the comradeship theme is vividly depicted with various expressions in the poem.

+ These soldiers always understand each other's thoughts, emotions, and hearts - understanding the situation, understanding the constant longing for the homeland in the souls of the soldiers.
+ Always united, sharing hardships and scarcities of military life together.
+ The affectionate connection and constant readiness to share are expressed through the image of 'caring hands clasping each other's hands.'

- Poem about the non-glass vehicle squad:

+ Profound comradeship is vividly portrayed through the interlocking hands laden with emotions.
→ It is the grasp of deep empathy, silent words of encouragement, and the sharing of all joys and sorrows, the hardships on the paths that soldiers reserve for each other.

c. Images of soldiers in both poems emerge with a relaxed, dignified, and unwavering posture

- Comradeship: The image of 'waiting for the enemy' paints before us the posture of the soldiers; they are always in a proactive, dignified stance, ready to fight the enemy without a hint of worry or fear.

- Poem about the non-glass vehicle squad

+ Amidst the backdrop of that ruthless battle, the image of the soldiers emerges with a demeanor of 'composure,' the tranquility of soldiers.
+ The technique of listing 'looking at the ground,' 'looking at the sky,' 'looking straight' demonstrates the firm, dignified, and calm posture of the soldiers.
+ The relaxed, dignified, and unwavering posture of the soldiers is authentically portrayed through images seamlessly blending with nature.
 

3. Conclusion

Summarize the portrayal of soldiers in both poems and express personal thoughts.

II. Sample essay Analyzing the Beauty of Soldiers in the Poems Comrade and Non-glass Vehicle Squad

The portrayal of soldiers stands as one of the central and iconic images in Vietnamese literature overall and revolutionary literature in particular, with numerous renowned authors and works. Chinh Huu's poem 'Comrade' and the poem 'Poem about the non-glass vehicle squad' are among the outstanding works, leaving a profound impression on readers regarding the image of soldiers. Created during different periods of two intense resistance wars, the hardships of the nation, both poets successfully crafted the image of soldier Uncle Ho with various beauties and admirable qualities.

Firstly, the image of soldiers in both poems represents individuals rich in determination, willpower, acceptance, disdain for difficulties, overcoming them with an optimistic spirit. Reading Chinh Huu's 'Comrade,' we cannot forget the image of soldiers facing shortages, chilling fevers during the resistance against the French invasion.

He and I knew each chilling moment
His fevered forehead sweating profusely
His torn shirt on the shoulders
My pants with a few patches
Smiling, freezing cold
Feet bare.

Having directly participated in the resistance against the French, Chinh Huu perhaps understands the hardships and deficiencies of soldiers' lives more than anyone. Through authentic descriptions and carefully chosen poetic images, the poet paints a vivid picture of the soldier's reality. First and foremost, it is the bouts of chilling jungle fevers. The author employs a realistic description to recreate the severity of these jungle fevers, the 'chilling chills,' the fevers so intense they make one shiver, and 'forehead sweating profusely.' Additionally, the author authentically and profoundly portrays the deprived and harsh life of the soldiers in the resistance war through vivid and evocative images like 'torn shirt on the shoulders,' 'pants with a few patches,' and 'bare feet.' Despite the countless difficulties and hardships, these soldiers always maintain an optimistic spirit. The image of 'smiling, freezing cold' epitomizes their optimistic attitude, disdain for challenges, and the determination to overcome all and fulfill their assigned tasks. Thus, the soldiers in Chinh Huu's poem 'Comrade,' despite a life filled with scarcity and hardships, remain optimistic and love life.

Not only in the poem 'Comrade,' but the soldiers in 'Poem about the non-glass vehicle squad' also brim with optimism despite facing numerous challenges on the path to the battlefield.

No glass, so dust abounds
Dust sprays, white hair like the elderly
No need to wash, whimsically lighting a cigarette
Looking at each other with muddy faces, laughing ha ha
No glass, so wet clothes
Rain pouring, soaking like outside
No need to change, driving a hundred kilometers more
The rain stops, the wind dries quickly.

The images of 'dust' and 'rain' serve both as realistic descriptions and symbolic representations of the soldiers' difficulties. Despite these challenges on the long road to the battlefield, the soldiers overcome everything with faith and an optimistic spirit. The use of the structured repetition 'no more ... but ....' and the loop structure 'not yet needing....' along with unique poetic images like 'whimsically lighting a cigarette' and 'swiftly drying breeze' helps us distinctly feel the optimistic spirit of the truck drivers on the Truong Son trail during the resistance war against the American invasion.

Furthermore, in both poems 'Comrade' and 'Poem about the non-glass vehicle squad,' we witness the portrayal of soldiers with a profound and noble comradeship. In Chinh Huu's poem 'Comrade,' comradeship is a constant thread throughout the entire work, vividly depicting with various expressions. These soldiers always understand each other's thoughts, emotions, and hearts - understanding the situation, understanding the constant longing for the homeland always present in the souls of the soldiers.

Fields for cultivation, he leaves for a comrade to plow
The simple house unaffected by the swaying wind
A well, an old banyan tree reminds him of going to the front.

Simultaneously, these soldiers always stand united, sharing every hardship and scarcity of military life, in the harshness of nature and even in the horrifying jungle fevers. But perhaps, not stopping there, the beautiful comradeship of these soldiers is also evident in the affectionate connection and the constant readiness to share. All these emotions are condensed and expressed through lines carrying profound meanings:

Caring for each other, holding hands together

The image of 'holding hands together' encompasses a multitude of meanings. Those clasped hands carry love and affection, as if the soldiers are accentuating their material scarcity to emphasize their spiritual richness. Simultaneously, those handshakes are sincere words of encouragement, providing the soldiers with additional motivation to overcome difficulties and challenges. It is an expression of empathy, conveying warmth and affection to give them the strength to tread the path filled with countless hardships. With just one image, it is enough to represent the sacred comradeship, and perhaps, this very sentiment serves as a significant source of motivation, uplifting the footsteps of the soldiers on their mission.

In the poem 'Poem about the non-glass vehicle squad,' the profound comradeship is vividly portrayed through interlocking hands laden with emotions.

The vehicles from within the falling bombs
Have gathered here, forming a small squad
Meeting friends along the way
Grasping hands through shattered windows.

After long journeys, overcoming numerous difficulties, hardships, and dangers, the drivers exchange handshakes with profound meanings, carrying the emotions of comradeship. It is the handshake of deep empathy, silent words of encouragement, and the sharing of all joys and sorrows, the hardships on the paths that soldiers reserve for each other. Perhaps, only through the image of 'grasping hands through shattered windows,' Pham Tien Duat has shown us the comradeship of these soldiers.

Simultaneously, the image of soldiers in both poems emerges with a relaxed, dignified, and indomitable posture. In the poem 'Comrade,' against the harsh backdrop of nature, the image of soldiers appears in a truly distinctive manner.

Standing side by side, awaiting the enemy's arrival

The image of 'awaiting the enemy's arrival' depicts, before us, the posture of the soldiers. They are always in an active, dignified stance, ready to engage with the enemy without any worry or fear.

In the poem 'Poem about the non-glass vehicle squad,' the relaxed and dignified posture of the soldiers is clearly expressed through the opening lines of the poem.

No glass not because the vehicle lacks glass
Bombs exploding, shaking, shattering the glass
Calmly sitting in the driver's seat
Looking at the ground, looking at the sky, looking straight ahead.

The first two lines vividly depict the realistic image of war-wounded vehicles, a typical testimony to the ferocity of war. Against the backdrop of a war full of brutality, the image of soldiers emerges with a 'relaxed' and calm posture. Especially, using the listing technique of 'looking at the ground', 'looking at the sky', 'looking straight' demonstrates their firm, dignified, and tranquil posture. They don't tremble in fear but dare to look directly at the enemy's bombs, at the road full of difficulties, challenges, and dangers ahead. Additionally, the relaxed, dignified, and indomitable posture of the soldiers is authentically and vividly expressed through images harmonizing with nature.

Seeing the wind gently wiping bitter eyes
Seeing the road running straight into the heart
Seeing the stars and suddenly a bird's wings
Like sand, like rushing into the cockpit

In summary, the two poems, Chinh Huu's 'Comrade' and Pham Tien Duat's 'Poem about the non-glass vehicle squad,' both realistically and distinctly portray the beauty of soldiers in the two intense resistance wars of the nation. These soldiers have contributed to creating the heroic history of the nation, of the mountains and rivers, and the homeland.