Analyzing the excerpt from Kiều's poem at Ngưng Bích Tower to emphasize the emotional turmoil of a young woman on her journey of exile.

Assignment: Analyze the excerpt from Kiều's poem at Ngưng Bích Tower to emphasize the emotional turmoil of a young woman on her journey of exile.

Analyzing the excerpt from Kiều's poem at Ngưng Bích Tower to emphasize the emotional turmoil of a young woman on her journey of exile.

Task:

In medieval Vietnamese literature, Nguyễn Du is a great poet known for his exceptional talent and profound compassion. 'The Tale of Kiều' is his masterpiece, also known as 'A New Cry from a Bamboo Grove'. In this renowned poetic work, Nguyễn Du vividly portrays the character of Vương Thúy Kiều, a young woman who is 'as filial and righteous as can be' but whose fate is filled with tragic twists and turns, in a feudal society corrupted by the power of money. One of the remarkable verses describing the emotions of this young woman on her journey of exile is the excerpt 'Kiều at Ngưng Bích Tower':

'Before Ngưng Bích Tower, spring is locked away
...
The sound of waves roaring around the sitting bench'

The verse above depicts the situation of Kiều after being deceived by Mã Giám Sinh and brought to the luxurious tower of Madame Tú. Due to Kiều's fierce resistance, Madame Tú is forced to confine Kiều in Ngưng Bích Tower, a desolate place far from civilization. The scenery here is truly bleak:

Before Ngưng Bích Tower, spring locks away
Distant hills, the moon seems close, sharing the same space
Far and wide, the surroundings extend
Golden sands on one side, dust of distant miles on another

Right from the opening verse, poet Nguyễn Du compassionately describes Kiều's situation with the phrase 'spring locks away'. Every young woman should have a youthful spring, full of happiness and hope. But Kiều's spring is locked away, her freedom taken, and the pains of fate begin to descend upon her life. The scenery at Ngưng Bích Tower is desolate, a superb portrayal of the art of describing scenery metaphorically: distant hills seem near with the moon, surrounded by vast landscapes devoid of any human traces. Looking further, only a few sandbanks and swirling dust carried by the wind are visible. The more magnificent the scene, the more isolated and pitiful the emotions of the young woman become, as her image diminishes. The combination of words and imagery, such as distant hills with a close moon, golden sands, and swirling dust, paints a somewhat chaotic, desolate scene akin to Kiều's inner turmoil at this moment. This is a reflection of Kiều's emotional state on her journey of exile, evoking hidden empathy and sympathy in the reader before the stark reality she must endure.

Transitioning from depicting the landscape to expressing the character's inner turmoil in these verses, the poet directly portrays the character's pain in this situation:

Desolate clouds from early morning till late night
Half love, half scene, as if dividing a heart.

The term 'bẽ bàng' depicts the bitterness and sorrow of an innocent, dignified girl who is trampled upon, to the point of contemplating death as an escape but unable to do so. It's a scene of solitude, crying out to the heavens with no response, calling to the earth which remains indifferent, only the morning clouds and late-night lantern as companions, evoking a sense of melancholy. With just a few simple words, the poet delicately captures all the bitterness experienced by Kiều. Nguyễn Du also explains Kiều's deepening sorrow, attributed to the phrase 'half love, half scene', which causes Kiều's heartache. Perhaps Tú Bà confines her here to exacerbate Kiều's emotional torment, as part of her plot to push Kiều into the green chamber, living a life of shame. It's truly pitiful for her!

In the dark and fearful days at Ngưng Bích Tower, Kiều not only pities herself but her heart also overflows with love for her most beloved ones:

Thoughts of loved ones under the moon's embrace
Trusting in dewdrops, awaiting the sun's return
By the corner of the sky, feeling desolate
A touch of rouge, when will it fade?

The phrase 'under the moon's embrace' recalls Kiều and Kim Trọng sharing a heartfelt toast under the moon. Such a beautiful and pure love, yet out of filial duty, Kiều reluctantly betrays their bond. It's a remorse and regret that never fades for her, hence the poet dedicates these four lines to depict Kiều's longing for Kim Trọng. Nguyễn Du is very astute in using the word 'thoughts', which not only conveys longing but also signifies the bitter distance between Kiều and Kim. The poetic technique in describing the poet's psyche is profound, as he enables Kiều to understand Kim's heart: surely since Kiều's departure, Kim has returned to Thúy's garden with the pain of lost love, awaiting news of Kiều, yet the 'dewdrops' never arrive, and he continues to suffer day after day. Therefore, Kiều remains burdened, examining her own heart, realizing the desolation at her horizon, feeling lost and adrift without direction, with her love for Kim still intact, symbolized as an enduring 'touch of rouge' that never fades, although unsure when they will meet again. Kiều is a woman of integrity and righteousness, her inner beauty both admirable and pitiable to readers. This is also the poet's talent in highlighting not only Kiều's emotions but also her character.

Kiều remains a filial daughter, with a heart full of compassion towards her aging and frail parents:

Pitying those by the doorstep tomorrow
A warm fan comforts those in the cold now
The distance between Lai courtyard and the sun and rain
Perhaps the ancestral roots have embraced someone...

We notice Nguyễn Du's choice of words: while he uses the word 'thoughts' to express Kiều's longing for her lover, he uses 'pity' when she remembers her parents, as it encompasses the compassion and worry of a distant child towards her parents. She knows they are 'by the doorstep tomorrow', eagerly awaiting news from the day she left amidst tears. Nguyễn Du's talent lies in his use of vivid and classical literary techniques. The use of such techniques often leads to symbolism and metaphor, as the great poet uses them naturally and expressively to vividly describe the sincere emotions of the characters. This includes the imagery of 'a warm fan comforts those in the cold', 'the Lai courtyard', 'ancestral roots'... to evoke Kiều's affection for her parents and her poignant longing for her childhood home. Despite sacrificing herself to save her father, Kiều doesn't dwell on her own fate. Her first thoughts always turn to her distant loved ones. This is the essence of Kiều's character, rooted in silent sacrifice and nobility... And even amidst the painful journey of exile, she remains unchanged, still the same Kiều who is 'as filial and righteous as can be', yet fate's jealousy forces her into turmoil and adversity.

In the excerpt 'Kiều at Ngưng Bích Tower', perhaps the last eight lines are the most profound description of Thúy Kiều's emotions when she arrives at Ngưng Bích Tower:

Saddened watching the evening tide at the door
A boat with faint sails disappears into the distance
Saddened watching the newly emerged waves
Flowers adrift, melancholic, uncertain of their destination
Saddened watching the withered grass inside
The sky and earth merge into a verdant hue
Saddened watching the wind sweep across
The tumultuous sound of waves echoing around the seat.

The main artistic feature of this poem is the technique of depicting emotional landscapes, where each scene description carries the emotional essence of the sincere character, Kiều. This is evident through the repeated phrase 'Saddened watching' in four couplets of lục bát verses. Such usage not only provides a musical rhythm to the lục bát verse but also portrays Kiều's perspective of the scenery, immersed in emotional depth. In 'Truyện Kiều', Nguyễn Du also wrote: 'No scene is without sorrow. When one is sad, can any scene be joyful...'. Therefore, the surroundings of Kiều are often intertwined with the emotional tapestry of her inner feelings.

Eight lines of lục bát verses depict four picturesque landscapes, exuding a poetic beauty unique to nature, both majestic and delightful. The first scene is the vast 'sea gate' in the evening tide, where a boat with faint sails sails into the distance. Ancient Chinese often traveled by boat, so their longing for home was often entrusted to departing boats, riding the waves and wind towards distant lands. In the moment of watching the gentle sails drift towards the horizon, Kiều's emotions are surely filled with longing and yearning to return to her childhood home. This is a perpetual sentiment of a pitiable girl on her arduous journey of exile.

Then the poet describes the 'newly emerged waves', fraught with uncertainty like drifting bubbles of flowers unsure of their destination. The beautiful scene is indeed beautiful, yet why is it so melancholic? Because flowers adrift on the waves have long evoked imagery of the fate of a drifting, wandering girl amidst the currents of life. Watching the flowers drift in that moment, Kiều is reminded of the unhappiness and uncertainties of those destined for a precarious fate, unsure of the myriad sorrows that lie ahead. The intuitive sense of the vagaries of life always weighs heavily on her, like an inevitable destiny impossible to escape.

Kieu at Ngung Bich Pavilion is one of the excerpts that best demonstrates Nguyen Du's talent in depicting character psychology, alongside the essay Analyzing the verse 'Kieu at Ngung Bich Pavilion' to highlight the emotions of the girl on her journey of wandering, students can also refer to: Impressions on the excerpt 'Kieu at Ngung Bich Pavilion', Analyzing the last eight verses in the poem 'Kieu at Ngung Bich Pavilion', Analyzing the verse 'Kieu at Ngung Bich Pavilion', Analyzing Kieu's mood in 'Kieu at Ngung Bich Pavilion'