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Prompt: Analyze the following folk poem: 'Salt for three years, the salt is still salty...Even if we are far apart, it will take thirty-six thousand days to be truly distant.'
Two sample essays analyzing the folk poem: 'Salt for three years, the salt is still salty...Even if we are far apart, it will take thirty-six thousand days to be truly distant,'
Sample 1: Analyzing the folk poem: 'Salt for three years, the salt is still salty...Even if we are far apart, it will take thirty-six thousand days to be truly distant'
'Salt for three years, the salt is still salty'
'Ginger ripe for ten months, ginger remains spicy'
Our bond carries the weight of profound love
Even if we are far apart, it will take thirty-six thousand days to be anew
This song speaks of the intense bond of couples, a love between spouses that is deeply rooted and faithful. Folk poems often begin with inspiration: starting from an object or event before delving into the main theme. Sometimes, the opening and the main theme have no apparent connection:
A red, red bird
Its beak is green
It calls out to the people in the village,
Do not covet silk, be content with cotton.
However, there are times when the opening and the main theme are related. This song falls into the latter category: it begins with salt and ginger to discuss human relationships. Salt and ginger have been prevalent in folk poems:
Hands holding a plate of salt, dipping ginger,
Spicy salt, don't forget each other.
Salt and ginger, these are extremely familiar objects in the rustic, simple, and humble life. Ordinary people use the images of salt and ginger to express relationships discreetly yet genuinely and profoundly. Salt becomes saltier with time, and ginger becomes spicier with age. Ordinary people wish for relationships as rich and enduring as the saltiness of salt and the spiciness of ginger. The first two sentences convey indirect meanings, while the latter two use a direct approach:
Our connection is laden with deep meaning
Even if we go far apart, it takes thirty-six thousand days to truly separate.
The phrase 'we two' feels close and intimate. The expression 'deep meaning, thick love' speaks of profound affection in a penetrating way. For common people, love always comes with meaning. Meaning is responsibility, it's an obligation. The thicker the love, the heavier the meaning. Ordinary people value meaning more than appearance, sometimes it never fades. Ginger takes nine months, salt takes three years, but human relationships last a lifetime. 'Thirty-six thousand days' is a hundred years, it's a whole lifetime. The bond of meaning lasts a lifetime, that's when it's truly deep. Saying goodbye, but still separated after a hundred years means never really parting, never forgetting.
The song portrays the beauty of the working-class soul: bonding, loyalty in the relationship of husband and wife, in the love of a couple.
In addition to Analysis of the folk song: 'Salt for three years, the salt is still salty...Even if we go far apart, it takes thirty-six thousand days to truly separate', you can also explore Reflection on the folk verse: 'My body is like a silk sheet Floating in the market, not knowing whose hand it will fall into' or the section Analysis of the folk song: 'The handkerchief remembers someone...Worried for a restless sorrow...' to enhance your writing skills.
Sample essay 2: Analysis of the folk song: 'Salt for three years, the salt is still salty...Even if we go far apart, it takes thirty-six thousand days to truly separate'
After three years, the salt remains salty
Nine months for ginger, let it stay spicy
We two, meaning heavy, love thick
Even if we go far apart, it takes thirty-six thousand days to truly separate.
The folk song exudes a raw, sturdy beauty, truly embodying the essence of spicy ginger and salty salt.
The first two lines speak about the characteristics of salt and ginger—traits almost everyone knows. Their value lies not in providing new information, as that information is not groundbreaking. The crucial aspect is that they pave the way for us to perceive the determination of the protagonist: to live with love, meaning, and enduring loyalty to their lover—life partner with whom they have experienced joys and sorrows. It's from the last two lines, looking back, that we truly grasp the full meaning of reasserting the truth of spicy ginger and salty salt. It's an affirmation in a contemplative state, with the nature of an internally prompted action. Creating a symmetrical pair of 'Salt for three years, the salt is still salty' and 'Nine months for ginger, let it stay spicy' essentially serves as a form of repetition, emphasizing the concept of endurance. The crucial information here concentrates on the phrases 'still is' and 'let it stay,' not on the words spicy and salty. The idea of endurance decides the compatibility of the two different subjects—salt and ginger—in the sincere words of the protagonist. It's also the pivotal point that can unite the two halves of the folk song into a cohesive whole. Of course, modern readers might seek something more, ensuring the logical nature of the transition from the tale of salt and ginger to the story of 'we two.' Understanding the unique features in the cultural activities of ancient Vietnamese people lightens these reasonable demands. Salt and ginger not only exist as familiar spices, even essential in many dishes but also serve as folk medicine necessary in various situations like illness. It's no wonder that in another folk song, people once said: 'Lifting the salt dish, the ginger plate - Spicy ginger, salty salt, please don't forget each other.' It makes sense! The protagonist has gone through days cared for and loved by their life partner. Thus, salt and ginger, besides their inherent flavors, also emit the taste of love, the love of a husband and wife. It's entirely natural to associate salt and ginger with thoughts of unwavering loyalty and vice versa.
The last line of the folk song presents a hypothesis: (even) if we go far apart... If one truly understands life, it's certain that in life, the happiness of a couple and many other forms of happiness always face influences and contrary forces with a 'disruptive' nature. Though living peacefully, one can still contemplate the future with its various challenges. The sincere protagonist in this folk song is no different. They have seen, have uttered (even) if we go far apart, but immediately, they affirm: 'it takes thirty-six thousand days to truly separate.' Thirty-six thousand days amount to a hundred years—a predetermined number limiting one human lifespan. 'It takes thirty-six thousand days to truly separate' means separation only occurs after death, and it also implies never truly parting at all.
An assertion not based on turbulent emotions but grounded in profound life experiences! This is one of the main reasons why the folk song leaves lasting impressions on those who receive it, readers across generations with beautiful impressions of love, meaning, and Vietnam.
In addition to the above content, you can explore the section Write a short persuasive text expressing thoughts on compassion to prepare for this lesson.
Furthermore, Reflection on the poem 'Letter to the Little Prodigy' by Nguyen Du is a crucial lesson in the 10th-grade Literature curriculum that requires special attention.
