Appreciating the excerpt from Two Maples by Ai-ma-top

Prompt: Reflecting on the excerpt Two Maples by Aimatop

Explore 4 Exceptional Essays on Reflecting on the excerpt Two Maples by Aimatop

1. Reflecting on the excerpt Two Maples by Aimatop, Sample 1:

The short story The First Teacher by the writer Ai-ma-top brings us back to the small village of Ku-ku-rêu in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan. The story of the Red Army soldier, the Communist youth league member Duysen - the first teacher who planted two small maple trees with the girl Antunai in the past. Forty years later, the girl had become a famous scholar, while the Two Maples had become an integral part of the memories of the Ku-ku-rêu village for generations.

The memories attached to the two maple trees are recounted through two intertwined narrative threads: the direct narrative of the character 'I' - an artist who grew up from this very land and the memory thread of an entire generation 'we'. The vivid childhood memories have enabled the artist - the character 'I' to beautifully and emotionally recreate the image of two maple trees - symbols of homeland, a vibrant piece of village soul.

The inception of memories about the countryside begins with a narrative that takes the reader back to a place nestled at the foot of the mountains, on a vast plateau, with streams rushing down from multiple rocky crevices. Ku-ku-rêu emerges with all the raw beauty of nature: valleys, grasslands, and mountain ranges. The two maple trees, not gifts of nature but long known to the children since they knew themselves, have naturally become an integral part of Ku-ku-rêu village: 'they always appear before us like lighthouses placed on the mountain,' serving as landmarks for everyone to find.

Reflections on the excerpt 'Two Maple Trees' by Aimatop at their finest

Personally, 'every time I return to the village, as the train passes through the grasslands back to the village, my first duty is to gaze into the distance and seek those familiar two maple trees'. I have harbored a special affection for the two maple trees akin to that for close friends, looking at them with eyes full of love, so even when they are hard to see, I always feel their presence, always able to see them clearly. The two maple trees have become a part of my soul, dominating both the joy and sorrow of the artist.

With that love, I have created a vivid, beautiful painting. A painting resonating with melodies 'of leaves rustling until one gets intoxicated'. The passage describes the image of the two maple trees as beautifully as a poem about a species of tree 'with its own voice and surely must have its own soul, containing gentle words of praise'. Perhaps it is the love for one's homeland of the artist that brings about that overwhelming intoxication: 'No matter when we come here, day or night, they still sway, their trunks tilting, branches and leaves swaying, with a continuous rustling sound in various tones. Sometimes it seems like a tidal wave surging to the shore, sometimes it sounds like a whisper, affectionate and tender, passing through the leaves and branches like an invisible flame, sometimes the two maple trees suddenly fall silent for a moment, then all the leaves and branches sigh in unison as if mourning someone'. Even when the weather changes harshly, those two maple trees remain like resilient individuals confronting the destructive power of storms, 'tilting their flexible bodies and roaring like a raging fire'. Childhood impressions have been cherished and preserved by the artist, even when discovering the mysteries of the two maple trees through precise scientific explanations: 'Discovering that simple truth has not shattered my childhood dreams, has not taken away the way of sensing from my childhood that I still hold dear to this day'. Because those maple trees are associated with a beautiful time: 'My youth has left that place, next to them like a piece of a broken mirror of the green mythical realm...'. The images of childhood have formed a very particular fairytale space, perhaps it is precisely from the love and attachment to the two maple trees that the boy of yesteryears grew up to become an artist with the desire to repaint the vibrant soul of the countryside?

Those two maple trees are also a shared memory of ours - mischievous boys in Ku-ku-rêu village, the artist's peers. It's all about the days of playing, running amidst the vast hills, in the cool shade and the gentle rustle of leaves of those two maple trees. How beautiful are the moments when those boys are lifted high from the tall branches, up to the level of flying birds, a different world opens up, beyond the limits of the tiny Ku-ku-rêu village, 'as if some magical spell suddenly opened up before us an infinitely beautiful world of vast space and light'. The two maple trees become supports, lifting the wings of dreams for the children, broadening their perception of a world full of new things to explore, heading towards 'the mysterious lands full of allure hidden beyond the distant horizon'. Like his friends, 'I' - the boy who later became the artist also experienced the feeling of 'a heart beating with excitement and joy, then amidst that constant rustling, I tried to imagine those distant, strange lands'. The two maple trees have become great friends, intimate companions bringing bursts of joy and happiness to childhood.

While enjoying the joy in many innocent and dreamy months beside those two maple trees, no boy ever questions who nurtured the seeds, harbored hopes, brought childhood happiness. It's also normal for any child. The two maple trees of the Hong Quan soldier, the communist youth of Duy-sen have been planted together with the impoverished child An-tu-nai in the days when Ku-ku-rêu village was still immersed in backwardness and the heavy customs in the early years after the October Revolution had become witnesses to the growth of many generations. The first teacher himself still remains in the village, becoming an elderly man loyal to Duy-sen, but when the children call the hill with two maple trees 'Duy-sen School' like many villagers, how many remember that he is Mr. Duy-sen, the one who brought revolutionary light, contributing to dispelling darkness for many lives? The two maple trees are also evidence of the silent sacrifices of young communists who did not hesitate to dedicate their youth to their homeland, changing their skin for their flesh. The affection for the two maple trees of 'me', of 'us', of the people of Ku-ku-rêu village makes us cherish precisely because those two maple trees are associated with the story of a noble person, a teacher without a pedagogical degree but who nurtured many dreams, hopes for his small students.

2. Reflection on the excerpt 'Two Maple Trees' by Ai-ma-top, sample number 2:

'Two Maple Trees' is the opening part of the story 'The First Teacher' by the writer from Cugoruxtan - a Republic in Central Asia formerly part of the Soviet Union. The text intertwines two narrative threads very smoothly, creating a special nuance of perception.

Firstly, with emotionally charged descriptions from a sensitive soul, the storyteller introduces themselves as an artist. A painting amidst the hill with two maple trees. However, this is not a brushstroke painting but a graceful and profound narration.

That painting only reflects every time 'we' (the affectionate pronoun of the sentimental subject) go far and silently think with a poignant sadness: 'Will we see them soon, those twin maple trees? I hope to return to the village soon, to climb the hill and be with the two maple trees!'.

Thus, the scenery of the homeland is perceived through vivid, contrasting images, heights, distances, differences. That is the sentiment of the talented artist before the emotionally overflowing landscape.

A brief reflection on the excerpt 'Two Maple Trees' by Ai-ma-top

But from a perceptual perspective, the author (the sentimental character) combined personal narrative with description and expression to create a strange attraction. Because the narrator stirred up childhood memories.

It was in the final year of school, the children cheered, whistled loudly, then scrambled to cling to the branches of the two maple trees and climb up. How could they forget those 'barefooted kids' that 'shook the kingdom of birds' on 'the towering branches'. Oh, here, the 'kids' were also incredibly joyful to admire the scenery with both solemnity and affection.

They gazed into the distant, misty expanse of the grassland. They 'nestled on the branches, listening to the mystical wind and the leaves responding to the wind...'. The two maple trees ignited childhood with excitement, enchanted by its majestic yet wild beauty.

Thus, the excerpt 'Two Maple Trees' contains a flavor of the homeland. The artistic description and narration of the text made the narrative extremely vivid.

The passage embodies the unique souls of the two maple trees, the most touching. The excerpt is a hymn to the homeland and the great teacher who 'planted trees and planted people'.

3. Reflection on the excerpt 'Two Maple Trees' by Ai-ma-top, sample number 3:

We are informed that the story of the First Teacher is one of the famous works of the writer from the Republic of Cugorugxtan Ai-ma-top. The work depicts the beautiful teacher-student relationship, praising the resilience, the strong rise of a young class in the country of Cugorugxtan in the twenties of the last century. Representative of that class are Teacher Duy-sen and student An-tu-nai. In the story, there is a remarkable detail: One day, Teacher Duy-sen brought back to school two maple trees and said to An-tu-nai: 'These two maple trees, I bring them to you. We will plant them together. And as they grow, gaining more vitality every day, you will mature, you will become a good person...'. Through studying, training, and struggle, the poor girl An-tu-nai became an excellent scientist. Also, through time and weather, the two maple trees gradually grew into two ancient trees standing majestically at the head of the village, bringing joy and brightness to the villagers, especially the children, the successors of Teacher Duy-sen's legacy. The excerpt 'Two Maple Trees', belonging to the first part of the epic The First Teacher, brings the reader into the present time after many years of Teacher Duy-sen teaching and An-tu-nai studying. Although we do not know the specific contents, meanings of the work, reading the excerpt that Grade 8 Language Arts introduces, we can still perceive a part of the writer's creative talent, the outstanding beauty of the image of two maple trees, especially the beauty of the young generation's souls, the connection between trees and the succeeding generation of The First Teacher. 'The tree and the vision', perhaps that is the overarching meaning that readers can feel from this excerpt.

The passage is written with a blend of description and personal narrative, present time mixed with past reminiscence, characters 'we' and 'I' coexisting, alternating with readers, sharing thoughts, emotions. Therefore, the words, images swirl around, sometimes hidden, sometimes visible, sometimes real, sometimes blurry, very intriguing. The image of two maple trees appears, childhood fun is retold, overflowing emotions, deep thoughts,... line by line, resonating.

The beauties of the two maple trees:

From the beginning to '... every gentle breeze passing by'. Immersed in the character 'I', the artist, the writer paints the image of two maple trees with words, eloquent phrases full of sculptural and musical richness. The beginning is the image of two tall maple trees, standing proudly amidst the hilltops of the village, seen from afar as if seeing 'beacon lights placed on mountains'. Beacon lights stand by the sea shore, casting light to guide ships to shore. Those two maple trees have also served as guideposts for countless sons and daughters of the village of Ku-ku-rêu to turn towards, to find their homeland. The writer's art of comparison is truly meaningful. Therefore, every time I return to my homeland, I - the artist, the storyteller - firmly determine that 'the first destination is to gaze upon the familiar two maple trees from afar'. And every time like that, I hope to quickly return to the village, to be able to climb the hill to the trees, 'stand under the tree to listen endlessly to the rustle of leaves until intoxicated'.

Reflection on the excerpt 'Two Maple Trees' by Ai-ma-top, selected literary work

Thus, alongside the majestic image of two maple trees standing proudly on the high hill like a symbol of the homeland's soul is the image of a person deeply in love with the homeland. Thanks to that love, I, the storyteller, could hear 'distinct voices', 'gentle melodies' of the two maple trees, two living entities vibrant like humans. The author has embodied the characters to tell stories, to describe with a series of associations, comparisons, personifications of the sounds, voices of the maple trees. Whether day or night, 'they still sway their trunks, move their branches and leaves, ceaselessly murmuring...', sometimes 'like a tidal wave rising and crashing onto the shore..., sometimes 'whispering... deeply like an invisible flame', sometimes 'all the leaves sighing like grieving for someone...'. And when dark clouds approach, the two maple trees 'lean their flexible bodies and rustle loudly like a raging fire burning brightly'. It takes an artist's soul that harmonizes two qualities - the art of painting and the art of music, for the character I * to be able to depict the lines, colors, hear the deep, warm, intoxicating sounds of the beauties that the two maple trees have displayed, have conveyed. Clearly, through the artist's perception, the two maple trees appear with towering, proud figures, with graceful foliage, especially with their multi-toned rustling... wonderfully beautiful. That is the image of the homeland, also a symbol of the strong, resilient, yet gentle and beloved life force of the people here. When the artist stands under the tree trunk 'listening endlessly to the rustle of leaves until intoxicated', the love for the homeland in his soul - the writer Ai-ma-top, merges ecstatically with the earth, the sky, the trees, the people of the homeland. The prose passage contains many vivid images, figurative and auditory language, conveying compelling emotions like a poem, a song.

The beauty of youthful souls:

Moving on to the next passage (from the sentence 'Exploring...' to the end of the article), the language of the prose also shifts, from the present to the perspective of an adult returning to childhood memories full of dreams. It's as if Ai-ma-top himself is becoming a child again to relive a wonderful memory. On a certain day in the last year before summer break, 'I' - the storyteller - climbed high, higher, perhaps as high as the trees. 'And there they were, us kids running around barefoot... climbing high and startling the kingdom of birds'. A naive yet fascinating narrative! The boys, like young birds, have taken over this kingdom, the canopy of trees, the vast sky. Thanks to that, from the height 'at the level of flying birds', the boys saw an endless beautiful world of vast space and light. By this point, the character 'I' fades away, letting 'we' take over everything. Why is that? Perhaps the writer wants to change perspectives, truly embodying the world of childhood to feel the romantic beauty of one's homeland. How did the village of Ku-ku-rêu in the country of Curuguxtan appear through the eyes of innocence? Here, 'the vast land made us awe-struck'. Over there, 'the horse stable of the farm we always thought was the largest building in the world... was just like an ordinary makeshift house'. In the distance lay the desolate grasslands disappearing into the misty fog. And even further away were the rivers, 'the rivers shimmering at the horizon like thin strands of silver thread...'. How interesting it is that, thanks to the elevated position of the two maple trees, the boys could 'see the endless expanse of land and water' just like the poetry of Ho Chi Minh in a well-known poem. And also from such a position, the boys were able to live in moments of ecstasy, happiness. 'We nestled on the tree branches, pondering... We sat nestled on the branches, listening...'. Indeed, in those moments, at those heights, the perspective of childhood was expanded, the thoughts were deepened, both the soul and the intellect seemed to soar to feel the vast beauty, to hear the mystical sounds, to dream and fantasize, to yearn for countless sacred and fascinating things. In other words, thanks to the tall, sturdy, guiding two maple trees, the boys of the village of Ku-ku-rêu were able to broaden their vision, to reach so many beneficial things. Among them, perhaps the most beneficial thing is to enrich the soul and intellect. Through a specific childhood memory of a specific character, the writer has awakened in us so many peaceful, beloved memories of our homeland, our country, both in childhood and in old age. Towards the end of the passage, the storyteller once again changes tone. From 'we', the character addresses 'I'. 'I listened to the sound of the two maple trees rustling, my heart beating joyfully because of the whisper... imagining those distant lands... There's just one thing I haven't thought of: who planted the two maple trees on this hill... Oh, that hill with those two maple trees, why do they call it Trường Đuy-sen in my village...'. These are the lines leading into the story about the wonderful people of one's homeland. Ending at the conclusion of this Two Maple Trees document, here are the reflections of the artist when reunited with the two maple trees, reliving the romantic, dreamy childhood and always remembering and being grateful to the predecessors, paving the way and sowing seeds, cultivating for trees, educating, awakening the grown-ups. That is the contemplation of a kind heart, knowing to 'enjoy the fruit and remember the planters', lovely, precious, and cherished. Thus, from perceiving the beauties of the two maple trees, the artist has woven a childhood memory no less beautiful but rich in meaning: the tree and the horizon. The taller the tree grows, the more wind it catches. The higher humans rise, the wider their vision, but never forget the roots.

In summary, in the Two Maple Trees, excerpted from the First Teacher story by writer Ai-ma-top, the two maple trees are vividly described through the perspective and deep childhood memories of an artist. From this, the writer awakens in our chaotic hearts the love for the homeland, the gratitude to the predecessors who planted trees, nurtured the green buds of leaves, and educated, guided the young generation to grow up. Reading and contemplating the image of the two maple trees of the land of the people, we cannot help but think of the banyan trees, the bamboo clusters, the village bamboo hedges of our Vietnam. That is the soul of the homeland, the root of the country, the nation, and each of us.
 

4. Reflection on the excerpt 'Two Maple Trees' by Ai-ma-top, model number 4:

This is the storyteller's tale by the writer Ai-ma-top about his homeland in Cu-no-gu-xtan, a remote region in Central Asia belonging to the former Soviet Union.

It can be said that the character referred to as 'I' - the storyteller - is indeed the writer (?! ) - with the storytelling talent through description, the sincere character 'I' has brought to life a distant memory. The two maple trees become a special symbol of a region.

The sincere character seems to divide into two souls: one is the painter, and the other is the person from Ku-ku-rêu? Actually, here we only hear the narration, the description, expressing the emotions of the sincere subject.

But through the content of the essay, we can understand 'Two Maple Trees' growing in the middle of a hill like a painting with scenes almost 'they appear before my eyes just like the lighthouses placed on the mountain... 'And there are distant scenes like: 'standing far away it's hard to see them immediately, but I always feel, they always look clear... 'in the storytelling narrative 'we' have a very strong attraction to the children.

That's because in their final years of schooling, the kids lived beautifully with the two maple trees!

Appreciation of the excerpt Two Maple Trees by Ai-ma-top

The kids cheered loudly, blowing whistles as they ran up the hill to climb the two maple trees, climbing up to enjoy the atmosphere in the 'cool shade and the gentle rustle of leaves'. They 'helped each other cling to the trunks and branches, climbing high to shake the kingdom of birds'

And then, not only that, the kids climbed even higher, higher and higher, to challenge each other's courage and skill! At that height, they were amazed and held their breath to look 'beyond the village to the vast, misty plains'.

This writing style not only reflects the perspective of the artist but also awakens the memories of the students who once enjoyed climbing trees and exploring the world of birds and neighbors from high branches!

Back then, the kids never thought about who planted those two maple trees on the hill. Now everyone knows it was the maple tree planted by Teacher Duysen and the girl student Antunai to fulfill a dream in the story 'The First Teacher'.

However, if we follow the narrative of the narrator referring to 'I', through the scenery, the sentimental protagonist has deeply revealed his emotions. It's every time returning from afar, always silently thinking: 'Are we going to see them soon, those twin maple trees? Hoping to return to the village soon, to go up the hill to the two maple trees! Then just stand under the tree to listen to the rustling of the leaves until intoxicated'.

Clearly, this is a pure emotion emerging along the narrative of a person with a deep attachment to the memories of their homeland.

The storyteller confesses: 'In my village, there is no shortage of trees, but these two maple trees are different - they have their own voice and surely must have a soul full of gentle melodies'.

From these perceptions, the 'narrator' describes the excitement of the two maple trees during the day, at night, moments of serene skies, and times when storms rage, shaking their branches and shedding leaves...

This is a vivid description of the two maple trees that only someone who sees them as intimate, as part of themselves, can speak of. Because the storyteller has discovered the simple truth that the two maple trees standing on the windy hill absorb the stirring atmosphere and then ponder, sigh... Yet the storyteller still sees in them an extraordinary vividness, as youth has left this place like a piece of a broken blue mirror.

You can memorize the following lines as genuine feelings after reading the essay 'Two Maple Trees'. Because in this intertwined narrative and description, the two maple trees appear vividly: 'Back then, there was only one thing I had never thought about: who planted these two maple trees on this hill? What dreams did that anonymous person have, what did they say when burying the roots into the ground, what hopes did they nurture here, on this high hilltop'.

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Above is the Analysis of the excerpt Two Maple Trees by Aimatop. Next, students should answer textbook questions, Prepare Two Maple Trees, and along with the Introduction to the author Aimatop and the text Two Maple Trees to excel in 8th-grade Literature class.