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Essay Prompt: Analysis of Nguyễn Đình Chiểu's Poem 'Fleeing the Invaders'
Analyzing Nguyễn Đình Chiểu's Poem 'Fleeing the Invaders'
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Writers and poets are often considered cultural and artistic warriors, and indeed, poet Nguyễn Đình Chiểu is one such author. He wielded his sharp pen to aim directly at the enemy, and the poem 'Fleeing the Invaders' vividly depicts the scene when the homeland was invaded by French colonial forces. It serves as Nguyễn Đình Chiểu's indictment of their atrocities.
The poem was written after the French colonial forces attacked Gia Định, the poet's homeland (February 17, 1859). Witnessing that scene, he couldn't help but feel deep sorrow. As a patriot, who wouldn't be pained when their land is invaded, and the people are subjected to brutal oppression?
The first two lines of the poem immediately unveil the harsh reality of a nation in pain:
'At the market's end, the West's gunfire heard,
A chessboard's fate, in a moment, absurd.'
The onset of the French colonial attack on Gia Định marks the 'market's end.' As people stepped out of the market, gunfire erupted. Undoubtedly, a devastating battle took place there. The sound of gunfire shattered the once peaceful life, replaced by fear as the nation's sovereignty was violated. 'The West's gunfire' refers to the French colonial forces' weapons. The metaphor of the chessboard's fate 'absurdly falling' signifies the dynasty allowing Gia Định to fall into the enemy's hands. In other words, the colonial forces successfully seized Gia Định.
The author vividly describes the painful scene of the people fleeing from the invaders:
'Leaving homes, children running astray,
Losing nests, flocks of birds scatter away.'
The inversion of 'leaving home' and 'scattered' imbues the verse with a poignant tone. Gunfire acts as an ominous precursor, signaling impending tragedy. Nguyễn Đình Chiểu employs vivid language and inversion to evoke vivid images of the gruesome, desolate scene he describes. Children run aimlessly, lacking guidance, bewildered in avoiding the encroaching danger. Not only humans but even creatures like flocks of birds panic, directionless due to losing nests and habitats. The phrases 'helpless' and 'scatter away' depict a scene of devastation, everything overturned by the sound of gunfire. 'The young ones' symbolize innocence, robbed of a peaceful, carefree childhood by the colonial invasion.
Appearing before the reader is a harrowing, brutal scene:
'Nghé Wharf, precursor of frothy waters,
Đồng Nai competes for tiles, tinted with cloud hues.'
The South is engulfed in thick smoke. Gia Định and the Southeast region are ablaze. Wherever they go, the enemy executes a sweeping rampage, pillaging and ruthlessly killing our people. Their actions are extremely brutal, causing immense harm to our populace. Nghé Wharf and Đồng Nai are both plunged into a state of imminent collapse, possessions dissipating swiftly like foam. The atrocities of the French colonial forces are expressed through these two verses with broad, encompassing impact. However, the grief and suffering borne by our people are far greater, multiple times over. Even inanimate entities like ditches and rivers swell with deep-seated resentment. Houses crumble, engulfed in burning flames. Bearing witness to the spectacle of homes ablaze, how many can escape the heartache of their wealth vanishing in an instant?
Confronted with such a gruesome scene, Nguyễn Đình Chiểu posed a scornful question:
'Ask where the order lies, absent amidst chaos,
To let the people bear this calamity?'
The slow-paced question vividly depicted the chaotic, desperate situation as the people fled from the invaders. This question wasn't just his alone but echoed the sentiments of the people towards the feudal regime at that time. The people lamented, in misery, desperately needing a way out, a resistance against oppression, yet 'the order to restore order' was nowhere to be seen. Where did the Nguyen dynasty, the rulers, vanish to, abandoning the suffering people in their dire straits?
The last two verses not only express the author's compassion for the country losing its home but also reveal a deep-seated hatred for the invaders, the disappointment when the ruling dynasty not only neglected the people's lives but also collaborated with the French colonial forces. The cowardice of the ruling dynasty, those responsible for protecting the nation and caring for the people's lives, is truly deserving of mockery and contempt. The helplessness of the Nguyen dynasty has plunged our people into a helpless state, with no way out. The slow-paced question also aims to awaken patriotic individuals to stand up against colonization, bringing warmth and abundance to the suffering people.
