Analyzing the imagery of Pedestrians in the poem 'Strolling Along'

Prompt: Analyze the imagery of Pedestrians in the poem 'Strolling Along'

Analyzing the portrayal of Pedestrians in the poem 'Journeying'

+ 'Just realized': understanding the exhaustion, hardships on the journey of toil.
+ The verse depicts pedestrians restrained on the path, weary but unable to halt.

- The second verse:
+ Prisoners must continuously traverse high mountains
+ The phrases 'trùng san' and 'hựu' signify the toil, hardship of travelers, overcoming one high mountain after another, ceaselessly.

- The third verse:
+ Serves as a transitional verse, shifting and elaborating on the theme

- The fourth verse:
+ The culmination of the long journey is standing atop the high mountain, gazing at nature.
+ Evokes refreshment, freedom
+ The imagery of pedestrians no longer diminutive but bold, standing between earth and sky.

- In summary: The portrayal of pedestrians in the poem evokes the image of individuals in life.
+ Life presents many challenges, but with optimism and steadfastness, triumph is achievable.
+ For revolutionary soldiers: overcoming piled hardships, undoubtedly leading to glory.

3. Conclusion

- Reaffirming the significance of the poem.

II. Sample Essay Analyzing the Depiction of Pedestrians in the Poem 'Journeying' (Standard)

Ho Chi Minh - Not only a revolutionary figure with grand ideas but also a poet brimming with inspiration. During the 1940s, while incarcerated at the Tương Giới Thạch prison, he penned the 'Diary in Prison,' consisting of 133 poems. Among them is the poem 'Journeying,' inspired by one of his journeys. The poem constructs the image of a pedestrian - a revolutionary prisoner overcoming all hardships with unwavering determination and an unshakable optimistic spirit.

The poem 'Journeying,' succinct and unpretentious yet profound, draws from mountainous travels to illuminate life's truths: overcoming stacked hardships leads inevitably to resplendent triumph:

'Traveling reveals true hardship,
Mountains upon mountains endlessly stack;
High mountains rise to the utmost,
Encompassing countless lands and waters within sight.'

The poem opens with a personal narrative from the revolutionary prisoner:

'Only on the road do we know hardship,'

The phrase 'on the road' resonates like a gentle narrative, seeming like the tale of a traveler, yet it portrays the image of a prisoner being escorted along the road. With just two words, one can imagine the image of a pedestrian bound, feet shackled, endlessly traversing through hunger, cold, under the scorching sun and pouring rain. To 'travel' is to truly understand the hardships endured on the escorted journey. The verse sounds light, relaxed, yet encapsulates immense struggles, hardships. With just a brief verse, Ho Chi Minh encompasses both the evaluation and the conclusions drawn from a long journey. And the image of the pedestrian emerges within us as that of a prisoner enduring a laborious escorted journey. Yet, that prisoner still carries the sensitivity of a nobleman, transcending all hardships with a composed attitude, mastering the situation.

It's not until the second verse that one fully comprehends the hardships, trials the prisoner must endure:

'Mountains upon mountains endlessly stack,

Poetic translation: High mountains rise to the utmost'

The revolutionary soldier's path is nothing but a succession of daunting mountains. The second verse elaborates on the hardships hinted at in the first. It not only evokes imagery of vast, expansive, towering landscapes of nature but also signifies the toil, the suffering of the pedestrian. Bác employs the phrase 'trùng san - high mountains' in one verse solely to emphasize the formidable, towering nature of the hills and mountains along the prisoner's escorted path. Moreover, the positioning of 'trùng san' at the beginning and end of the verse, with 'hựu - again' in the middle, suggests the hardship of overcoming one mountain range only to face another without respite. A single word 'again' carries immense weight, pressing on the mind of the pedestrian. 'Trùng san' here is a scene of beauty, grandeur, yet it also represents a difficulty weighing heavily on the revolutionary prisoner.

The prisoner continues on, from one 'high mountain' to another, until finally:

'Mountains rise to the utmost,
Gathering countless lands and waters within sight'

The third verse serves as the pivotal point of the poem, on one hand depicting the continuation of the journey, on the other hand, it develops further to a higher level. The phrase 'trùng san - high mountains' at the beginning of the third verse echoes the two words from the preceding verse, creating a loop. While the first two verses convey a sense of slow, steady progression, indicative of the weariness of the pedestrian, the third verse exhibits a sense of urgency, a heightened state. It serves as a prelude to a significant event.

The path traverses through majestic mountains, endlessly repeating from one range to another like an endless chain that can be disheartening. However, in the final verse, the pedestrian emerges not in weariness, but in exhilaration, pride, in glory:

'In a myriad miles of abundance, overcoming hardship and challenges

(Gathering countless lands and waters within sight)'

The prisoner now seems no longer in a state of escort but rather appears as a traveler standing amidst nature, atop a high mountain, enthralled by the beauty of nature. Having endured countless difficulties, conquered treacherous mountain ranges, now stands atop a high peak, with all in sight. In the preceding verses, the pedestrian is overwhelmed, obscured by nature, but in this final verse, the image of the pedestrian becomes dignified, towering amidst nature, between earth and sky.

The depiction of the pedestrian in the poem 'Journeying' evokes thoughts of individuals in life's journey. They must traverse countless hardships, overcome 'mountains upon mountains,' yet with optimism, faith in life, awaits a vast expanse, achievement, glory that makes one proud. This is also the truth for revolutionaries, overcoming difficulties, steadfast in revolutionary beliefs leads to inevitable victory in the hands of the people.

Through the portrayal of the pedestrian in the poem, Ho Chi Minh wants to assert a truth in life: humans in life will encounter countless difficulties, yet when overcoming all hardships, struggles, surely we will reach success, victory. It is advice, guidance for our generation, and future generations about a steadfast spirit, a steadfast will to overcome all obstacles towards victory.