Analyzing the humanistic value of the excerpt 'The solitary scene of the concubine'

Prompt: Analyze the humanistic value of the excerpt 'The solitary scene of the concubine'

Exploring the humanistic value of the excerpt 'The solitary scene of the concubine'

I. Outline: Analyzing the humanistic value of the excerpt 'The solitary scene of the concubine' (Standard)

1. Introduction:

Introducing the work 'The solitary scene of the concubine.'

2. Main Body:

a. Overview:
- The excerpt belongs to the literary work 'The Soldier's Lament'
- It portrays the solitary, lonely mood of the concubine and her longing for happiness.

b. Humanistic value of the excerpt

- The humanistic value is a traditional value of our nation expressed through: empathy, compassion for fate, sympathy with dreams, aspirations, and condemnation of war, feudal society.

- Sympathy and compassion for the fate of the concubine:
+ Demonstrated through depicting the lonely, solitary situation of the woman.
+ The wife's concern for her husband going to war is depicted in lines like 'Wandering the empty courtyard silently step by step/ Sitting by the thin curtain, quietly shedding tears'
+ Her anxiety is shown through repetitive actions: standing, sitting, walking.
+ Deep sorrow and anguish are felt within: 'My heart suffers alone in silence' unable to confide in anyone.
+ The concubine tries to 'endure' everything amidst tears like 'enduring' looking into the mirror, 'enduring' playing music, 'enduring' burning incense.

- Cherishing dreams, longing for love, and the happiness of a couple:
+ Through depicting the loneliness and longing for her husband, the concubine's desire for love and happiness as a woman is portrayed.

- Condemnation of unjust wars:
+ Without openly criticizing, the condemnation of feudal society and unjust wars is conveyed through the concubine's situation, condemning the pain and suffering caused to individuals, especially women.

3. Conclusion:

- Reaffirming the significance of the humanistic value.

II. Sample Essay: Analyzing the humanistic value of the excerpt 'The solitary scene of the concubine' (Standard)

The status of women in ancient society was very insignificant. They were looked down upon, scorned, and hardly ever appeared in poetry. But in the 18th century, the image of women appeared continuously in the poems of Đoàn Thị Điểm, Hồ Xuân Hương, Bà Huyện Thanh Quan with profound humanitarian inspiration. Đặng Trần Côn's 'The Soldier's Lament' is one of the best works about women. In particular, the most outstanding must be mentioned is the excerpt 'The solitary scene of the concubine.' The excerpt not only successfully portrays the loneliness, sadness, and longing for happiness of the concubine but also reflects profound humanistic values.

'The solitary scene of the concubine' is excerpted from the work 'The Soldier's Lament.' The work was born at a time when hundreds of uprisings large and small appeared around the capital of Thang Long and Đặng Trần Côn created this excellent work in response to the times. The excerpt depicts the feelings of the concubine when waiting alone for her husband at the battlefield. Not only that, it also contains the longing for happiness of the woman and, above all, the humanitarian heart of the poet.

Humanitarian spirit is a traditional value of our nation. It is expressed through the profound empathy of the author with unfortunate individuals, as well as the sympathy and praise for their desires and aspirations for love and happiness. Additionally, it serves as a voice condemning the atrocities of unjust wars. In the excerpt 'The solitary scene of the concubine,' we can clearly see the poet's empathy and compassion towards the concubine. Hence, he can understand every emotion, every tiny tremor, and the immense loneliness of the woman when separated from her husband:

'Wandering the empty courtyard silently step by step,
Sitting by the thin curtain, quietly shedding tears.
Outside the curtain, is there any hint?
Within the curtain, is there already a light?'

The first lines of poetry depict the wife's concern when her husband is away at war. She is extremely restless, unable to sleep. The war has taken her husband far away, leaving her silently suffering in longing. Every step she takes around the 'empty courtyard' reflects her anxiousness and worry when receiving no news from her husband. She repeats meaningless actions of standing, sitting, going out, then coming back in. These actions accurately reflect her emotions: anticipation, restlessness, and anxiety. She eagerly awaits news of her husband, only to receive disappointment. Alone with the dim light in the middle of the night, the concubine becomes even more desolate. The verses are like suppressed sighs, expressing the bitterness, and sorrow overflowing in her heart:

'My heart suffers alone in silence.'

No one can fathom her pain, longing, and sorrow better than she does. Now, sitting amidst the stillness of the night, hearing the rooster crow at dawn, and watching the shadow sway in the moonlight only accentuates her solitude.

'The rooster crows, breaking the misty morning silence,
The shadow sways, dancing in all directions.
Each moment feels as long as years,
The lingering sorrow akin to the distant sea.'

In such circumstances, the concubine feels her own sorrow even more deeply. Every hour, every minute seems as if it were a whole month or year passing by. The phrase 'lingering' in this verse allows us to sense the concubine's weary anticipation. That waiting has become 'prolonged,' deep and vast like the distant sea. Yet her husband still hasn't returned from war!

The sadness and worry in her heart prevent the woman from focusing on anything. Every task she undertakes carries the image of her beloved husband. Whether burning incense, looking into the mirror, or playing the zither, she does so with effort amidst tears. She fears that while playing the zither, looking into the mirror, there will be a premonition of ill fortune. Thus, her soul remains adrift in tears, lost in longing:

'The broken string of the zither fret causes hesitation and unease.'

Now, sitting alone in the empty room, unable to converse or message her loved one, she can only send her longing into the wind:

'Can this heart's message reach the winter wind?
A thousand gold pieces I send to the Yen mountains
Even though the Yen mountains are distant,
Longing for you pervades the skyward path.'

Her longing for her husband is intense, profound, 'as deep as the skyward path.' It can be said that this is the most remarkable line in this excerpt, as it fully expresses the concubine's longing. A single line, yet it allows the reader to understand the entirety of a woman's heart eagerly awaiting her husband. However, can the blue sky truly comprehend her feelings? The longing, the anticipation for her beloved husband remains 'agonizing' in her heart.

The excerpt of the Concubine's Solitude isn't just a product of Dang Tran Con's talent but also a manifestation of his deep empathy and profound compassion for the concubines. The anguish of the concubine in the work is also the anguish of thousands of other women whose husbands are on the battlefield. They live in loneliness, solitude, engulfed in longing and worry for their husbands.

However, the humanitarian spirit in the excerpt isn't only evident in the empathy and compassion for the fate of the concubines but also in the empathy, appreciation, and praise for the desires for love and happiness of women.

Therefore, he wrote about the utmost loneliness, sadness, and solitude of the concubines:

'The melancholic scene deeply pierces the heart,
Branches laden with dew, the sound of insects in the drizzle.'

Or the longing for a distant husband:

'Though Non Yen lies beyond sight,
Longing for him pierces the heavens.
The vast, unfathomable sky,
The yearning for him remains unresolved.'

The loneliness, the unceasing longing, is an expression of the desire for love, marital happiness, and the solitude of the concubine, but also the desire to be protected and loved in the arms of her husband. The pursuit of living, of being loved, of happiness, is a natural aspiration, cherished by all. And for women in ancient feudal society, it became exceedingly precious. Therefore, the author empathizes with and appreciates their yearning.

Finally, the condemnation of unjust wars is also one of the humanitarian values that Dang Tran Con wants to express. Although not directly criticizing war or contemporary society, through empathizing with the sincere fate of the characters, the author wants to express a hatred for war. Because it is these wars that lead to the separation of the concubines from their husbands, dividing their love and marital happiness.