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Task: Analyze the two theses and conclusions of Self-Love 2
Analyzing the two theses and conclusions of Self-Love 2
Assignment:
Once upon a time, while perusing the poetry of the esteemed poetess Hồ Xuân Hương, wordsmith Tế Hanh penned a poem to extol her titled 'Hồ Xuân Hương' as follows:
'Greetings to Hồ Xuân Hương,
Oh, a poetry talent beyond measure,
'Skewing across the earth' with sharp lines,
'A melancholic goat' with bone-chilling words,
Unwilling to accept the fate of a woman,
Mocking men throughout the neighborhood,
'The queen of Nôm poetry' who can compare?
Breaking the boundaries of literature'
Indeed, Hồ Xuân Hương's poetry aligns with all that Tế Hanh lavishly praised, notably in the collection 'Self-reflection,' with 'Self-reflection 2' being the most renowned. If the two opening lines and the two closing lines express loneliness, sorrow, the melancholy resignation of the romantic figure facing the vicissitudes of love, akin to a lament, a weariness. Then, in the two central lines and the two concluding lines, we witness the strong personality, the resistance of the poetess against the mockery of a woman's fate, undaunted by the challenges of life
Life's spring colors swiftly pass, yet love's destiny remains elusive.
Reading the two critical verses:
'Sideways skewing the earth, moss covers every clump
Piercing the foot of clouds, how many rocks?'
One seems to sense the frustration, the annoyance of the romantic figure expressed through the imagery of nature, which is usually mundane but now carries the suppressed anguish of the poet. The inverted structure of speech further emphasizes the disgust, the resentment of Hồ Xuân Hương pushed to its climax. It's as if the anger and indignation permeate both the landscape and the sky. Nature seems to be angry alongside humanity, and with humans already carrying a heart full of rage, resistance is seen everywhere, a strong uprising like a volcanic eruption. And thus, the reader feels as though both humans and nature are joining forces to challenge everything around them. The poetic tone is defiant, stubborn, evident in words like 'Sideways skewing,' 'Piercing,' which are typically modifiers but here are elevated to subjects, accentuating the strength of nature ready to break all barriers. Reflecting on the romantic figure, if through the poet's eyes one can imagine scenes that are usually ordinary, moss growing, rocks piercing through clouds in an atmosphere of dissatisfaction, annoyance to such an extent, then surely the author's mood must be tempestuous, stormy rather than ordinary. Moss is inherently soft, weak, and insignificant, while rocks remain perpetually still, seemingly unnoticed, which also symbolizes the pitiful fate of women in the past. But now moss becomes strong, rugged, and rocks cease their silence to pierce through clouds, in such vast space moss and rocks suddenly become powerful, extraordinary, as if escaping their feeble, miserable existence to enter a new height. This is Hồ Xuân Hương's desire, two seemingly simple verses, but they are the verses depicting scenes of emotional turmoil, anger, resentment, followed by a fierce desire to break free from the oppression of the feudal system, to become strong against society, against heaven and earth, to be free to express one's personality, to be free to be oneself.
After all the anger and resentment, it seemed like a storm, yet Hồ Xuân Hương returned to the mundane weariness of her own existence in the final two concluding verses, within a circle of entanglement without an escape route, in the sorrow of woman's fate.
'Weary of springs come and go
Fragmented love, shared bit by bit'
Hồ Xuân Hương has grown weary of the trivialities, the whims of life, the repetitive cycle of nature's spring. One can discern here that Hồ Xuân Hương also holds a very progressive thought, which later Xuân Diệu also had similar views. It's about the law of time, of youth. The spring of nature, of heaven and earth comes and goes, but human spring, especially the youthful beauty of women once gone, will not return, and people will age, will lose. Given this, how could Hồ Xuân Hương not grow 'weary'? This irony becomes even more pronounced in the final verse: 'Fragmented love, shared bit by bit'. Already 'Fragmented love' is very small, yet it is 'shared' into tiny 'bits,' it's pitiful, it's hateful. This somewhat reminds us of Hồ Xuân Hương's life, marrying twice and always yielding to others, often enduring the hardship of sleeping without a pillow, watching her husband happily engage with other women. Moreover, she had to endure the early loss of her husband, when their love had not yet blossomed for long. All of this left in the poet's heart a deep pain, a bitter sorrow for the defiant fate, the doomed talent of women like herself. At the same time, it is also a shared sense of compassion for the countless women full of suffering, injustice in the unjust, backward, and helpless feudal society.
In summary, 'Self-reflection 2' specifically and the collection 'Self-reflection' in general are Hồ Xuân Hương's remarkably impactful voice on the pain of fate, on the bitter resentment of women in the ancient feudal regime. Through this, the poet further affirms, emphasizes the hidden beauty in their character, their souls. It's the talent, the strong personality, the desire to transcend the miserable fate, the longing for happiness, the intense love.
