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Crafting the Age of Horses, reading exercise
Crafting the Age of Horses, reading exercise, Short 1
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The poem unfolds a conversation between a mother and child. The mother playfully asserts that the horse baby, being in the 'Age of Horses,' is naturally inclined to wander and not stay still. The baby dreams of exploring many places but remains tethered to the fond memories of the mother.
Question 1 (page 150 Vietnamese Grade 4 textbook): How old is the little one? What does the mother say about that age's temperament?
Answer: You, the little Horse. Mother says that age is the age to wander, the age that refuses to stay still.
You're young, my dear Horse. Mom says that age is the time to explore, a time that refuses to stay in one place.
Question 2 (page 150 Vietnamese textbook grade 4): Where does the 'Young Horse' play according to the wandering wind?
Answer:
The 'Young Horse' plays across the entire country, from the lush green central region, across the red soil highlands, through the dense forests and mountain ranges. It brings back to its mother the winds from a hundred regions.
Question 3 (page 150 Vietnamese textbook grade 4): What attracts the 'young horse' in the flower fields?
Answer:
The dazzling white color of plum blossoms, the intoxicating fragrance of lilies, the wind and sunlight dancing on the field overflowing with wild daisies... All of these allure the 'young horse.'
Question 4 (page 150 Vietnamese textbook grade 4): In the final stanza, what does the 'young horse' convey to its mother?
Answer:
In the final stanza, the 'young horse' conveys to its mother: despite being at the age of wandering, don't worry, Mom. Rest assured that even across mountains, through rivers and seas, I will remember the way back to you.
Question 5 (page 150 Vietnamese textbook grade 4): If you were to illustrate this poem, how would you draw it?
Answer:
How would you illustrate this poem? Let the students express themselves.
For instance: Illustrate a boy flying on a horse in a field of flowers, heading towards a house where a mother eagerly awaits.
Content: The young Horse boy loves to leap and wander everywhere, but he holds a deep affection for his mother. Wherever he goes, he always remembers his mother.
Apart from Preparing for the Age of the Horse, Reading Practice, to excel in Vietnamese grade 4, students should explore other articles like Composition: Practicing Object Description, week 15 and Preparing for Grammar: Maintaining Politeness When Asking Questions found in the Vietnamese Language textbook grade 4.
Lesson Preparation: The Age of the Horse, Reading Exercise, Short 2
1. At what age is the young one? How does the mother describe that age?
Answer:
The young one is born in the Year of the Horse, hence has the 'Age of the Horse.' The mother describes that age as the 'age of wandering' because 'the Horse is never still in one place.'
2. Where does the 'Young Horse' play according to the wandering wind?
Answer:
The 'Young Horse' will 'soar' along various winds - green winds, pink winds, black winds; to unfamiliar lands: the lush central region, red soil areas, vast mountainous regions, and rocky mountain ranges. That is the dreamlike journey of childhood:
'- Oh, Mother, I will soar
Through countless winds
Green winds of the central region
Pink winds of the red soil area
Black winds sweeping through the vast mountains
Amidst the rocky mountain ranges.'
3. What attracts the 'young horse' in the flower fields?
Answer:
In the flower fields, the 'young horse' steps into a profoundly enticing world, filled with flower fields, plum blossoms, lilies, and wild daisies. It's the 'white color' of plum blossoms. It's the 'intoxicating fragrance' of lilies. It's the 'wind and sunlight dancing' over the wild daisy fields.
'The young horse will journey across
Over the flower fields
Dazzling white plum blossoms
The blank page yet unwritten
How can I embrace all
The intoxicating fragrance of lilies
With winds and sunlight dancing
Throughout the fields of wild daisies.'
4. In the final stanza, what does the 'young horse' convey to its mother?
Answer:
In the final stanza, the 'young horse' conveys to its mother that, despite the distance of mountains, forests, rivers, and seas, it will always remember the way to 'return to its mother.' This message shows that the 'young horse' deeply misses and loves its mother. The 'young horse' is a very filial child.
5. If you were to illustrate this poem, how would you draw it?
Answer:
If I were to depict the poem as a painting, I would create an expansive scene: with mountains, rivers, forests, and vast seas, fields of flowers, the freshly rising red sun, a spotted horse soaring down a mountain pass... and far in the distance at the edge of the sky, the figure of a loving mother.
6. What is the meaning of the poem 'The Age of the Horse'?
Answer:
The essence of the poem 'The Age of the Horse' lies in the love for the mother and the aspiration to journey to unfamiliar lands, distant horizons, to dedicate and engage in creative labor.
