Comparing the Beauty and Talent of Thuy Van and Thuy Kieu in the Excerpt from Sister Thuy Kieu

Essay Prompt: Comparing the Beauty and Talent of Thuy Van and Thuy Kieu in the Excerpt from Sister Thuy Kieu

Comparing the Elegance and Skill of Thuy Van and Thuy Kieu in the Excerpt from Sister Thuy Kieu

Composition

Nguyen Du - a versatile figure in the national literature, a poetic giant of the people, a cultural luminary on the global stage. He bequeathed to future generations numerous renowned literary works of profound human value. Among these, we must acknowledge 'The Tale of Kieu' - a piece known to every Vietnamese. His exquisite literary style is evident in every line and verse. Indeed, the excerpt 'Sisters Kieu' has revealed a glimpse of his artistic genius. Nguyen Du depicted the talent and beauty of the Thuy Kieu sisters to the pinnacle of literary art.

Before delving into the details of each Thuy Kieu sister, the author pointed out commonalities in their beauty:

'In the first glance, two beauties shine,
Thuy Kieu as elder, Thuy Van intertwine.
Despite shared roots, spirits pure as snow,
Distinct in charm, each a perfect ten to show.'

The author introduced Kiều as the elder sister, while her younger sibling is Vân. Through Nguyễn Du's pen, the images of the two Kiều sisters emerge before the reader: Two girls exuding noble beauty, pure and pristine like 'plum blossom's essence,' with souls as immaculate as snow. Using symbolic imagery, he emphasizes how the completeness of both sisters' beauty surpasses all limits—on a scale of ten, the beauty of the Kiều sisters scores a perfect ten, each possessing a unique charm. In the subsequent verses, the author focuses on describing each sister individually. Is there a hidden meaning as the author introduces the younger sister before the elder one?

'Vân appears differently dignified,
Her face resembling a full moon, features blooming
Her smile, a jewel, her speech, gentle and beautiful
Clouds envy her flowing hair, snow yields to her complexion.'

Thúy Vân manifests as a girl of refined elegance and grace, compared to the beauties of life. Nguyễn Du vividly details from her facial features to her voice and posture. Vân has a benevolent face, round and shining like the moon, with finely defined eyebrows that are 'blooming.' She possesses a beauty that makes flowers 'smile' upon seeing her and jewels 'sigh' in admiration. Perhaps here, the author wishes to convey that her smile is as beautiful as a flower, and her words are as delicate and round as each gem. Her flowing hair surpasses the luster of clouds, and even clouds 'yield' to the beauty of her hair. Her skin is whiter than snow. All these aspects of Vân's beauty radiate elegance, grace, and a refined charm—a beauty exceeding that of nature yet harmoniously fitting in, loved and admired by all, maintaining the beauty of her benevolence. From this beauty, the author seems to foreshadow a tranquil, peaceful, and happy life for her.

If describing Vân in just four lines requires twelve poetic verses, then the author needs twelve more to fully depict the captivating and enchanting beauty of Thúy Kiều. Kiều's beauty is so stunning that it leaves people awe-struck:

'Kiều's beauty, graceful and enchanting,
Comparing in charm, she surpasses by far.
An autumnal stream, the charm of spring and mountains,
Flowers envy her delicacy, willows resent her surpassing green.'

It turns out that the description of Thuy Van is the author's clever device; he successfully leveraged the technique. Van was already beautiful, seemingly unmatched, yet her beauty is more sophisticated, more flavorful—'comparing in grace,' she surpasses by a significant margin. They say 'eyes are the windows to the soul.' Thúy Kiều possesses eyes as beautiful as a gentle autumn stream, long eyebrows adding a touch of 'spring and mountains.' Her beauty is so outstanding that it invokes jealousy in nature itself: 'flowers envy, willows resent.' Flowers symbolize sophisticated beauty, while willows represent lush greenery, both beautiful in their own right, but still standing behind Kiều. Not stopping at describing Kiều's 'breathtaking' beauty, the author delves deeper into her talent.

'One, two, tilting waters and lands,
Beauty demands one, talent commands two.
Naturally intelligent, a heaven-given trait,
Blending the craft of poetry, the scent of melodious verse.
The royal court's admiration spans five octaves,
Her unique profession outshines a symphony.
In the house of notes, she chooses chapters,
'A Silver Destiny' resounds even more in human minds.'

Thuy Kieu not only possesses 'national beauty, heavenly fragrance' but also carries an abundance of talent within her: Musical instruments, chess, poetry, and painting—all skills are exquisitely refined. The author uses powerful words to convey this, such as 'enough, surpass, outshine.' Kieu's talent seems boundless; not only is she skilled in singing and playing instruments, but she also composes music. It can be seen that the combination of her beauty and talent has reached an extraordinary level, surpassing even the standard beauty of nature. Therefore, the author has predicted a future full of hardships and fates for her.

In the series of essays Writing Exercise 3 for 11th graders (literary argumentative essays), in addition to the exemplary essay Comparing the talent and beauty of Thuý Vân and Thuý Kiều as depicted in the Sisters Thúy Kiều excerpt, we also guide students in completing other essay topics such as: 'Nguyễn Khuyến and Tú Xương share similar inner feelings but their poetic tones differ'. Please elaborate on the above opinion; The beauty of the image of farmers in the Literary Tribute to the Hero Cần Giuộc by Nguyễn Đình Chiểu; Analyzing the Sisters Thúy Kiều excerpt; Your profound insights into the life and poetry of Nguyễn Đình Chiểu; let's explore these together!