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Crafting the melody of mother's words
I. Crafting the melody of mother's words - Preparing to read:
* Suggestions for answering the pre-reading questions:
1. Share with everyone a poem or folk verse about mothers that you adore.
- The poem 'Whispers of Love' by Tố Hữu.
- The verse 'Mother and the Fruit' by Nguyễn Khoa Điềm.
- Poem 'Clouds and Waves' by Ta-go.
- Folk verse about mothers:
(1): 'I traverse a lifetime as a human being
Yet never outgrow the lullabies of mother.'
(2): 'Autumn breeze lulls my child to sleep
In the long years, mother stays awake through countless nights.'
(3): 'Challenge to count the leaves in the forest
Challenge to count the layers of the vast sky
Challenge to count the stars in the sky
Challenge to measure the merits of my aging mother.'
II. Crafting the Song of Mother - A Journey with the Text:
* Insights into answering questions in the experiential section:
1. Connection: What lullabies does this poetic form evoke for you?
- This poetic form brings to mind lullabies such as:
(1)'Who sits in the hammock without rocking
Lulling the child without singing, the boat moves without paddling'.
(2) 'The stork goes out for a midnight feast
Landing on a soft branch, it flips upside down into the pond
Oh, sir, please scoop me up
Do I have a heart? Sir, stir the pickled bamboo shoots
Stir the water if you must, but stir clear water
Don't stir muddy water, it pains the heart of the young stork'
2. Inference: What does the child 'hear' in mother's song in this verse that differs from the previous seven verses?
- What the child 'hears' in mother's song in this verse is a synthesis, a culmination from the previous verses. It encapsulates the entirety of mother's life, her emotions towards the child, and imparts teachings on life, aiding the child's growth.
III. Crafting the Song of Mother - Reflection and Feedback:
* Suggestions for reflecting and providing feedback:
Question 1 on page 14 of Textbook Grade 8 Language Arts Creative Horizon - Volume 1:
- Poetic form: six-word poetry.
Question 2 on page 14 of Textbook Grade 8 Language Arts Creative Horizon - Volume 1:
- The poem is structured into three parts:
+ Part 1: Stanzas 1-2 - Mother's lullaby brings the child to the imagery of homeland, country.
+ Part 2: From stanza 3 to stanza 7 - The image of the mother from her youth to graying hair is narrated with the love and compassion of the child.
+ Part 3: Stanza 8 - The lullaby has given wings to the child to soar high and far.
- Unique aspect of the structure: the journey of the child's growth intertwined with the imprints of time in the mother's life.
Question 3 on page 14 of Textbook Grade 8 Language Arts Creative Horizon - Volume 1:
- 'Swinging in the rhythm of folk verses':
+ Inverting the phrase 'swinging rhythm' to depict the motion of both remaining entities in the verse: the movement of the hammock and the cadence of the folk verses.
+ 'Swinging rhythm': a colloquial expression capturing the steady back-and-forth motion of the hammock, lulling the child into a peaceful sleep.
+ 'Folk verses': these folk verses serve as lullabies for the child.
- The verse is rich in sentimental essence, portraying the mother swaying the hammock to lull the child to sleep.
- 'The moonlight adores the maiden mother,/ Still exuding the fragrant scent of jasmine flowers':
+ 'The moonlight' in 'maiden mother': used to refer to young, beautiful, and innocent women.
+ 'Still exuding': the mother remains beautiful like in her maiden days - Implicitly conveying a sense of transformation.
+ 'fragrant scent of jasmine flowers': the familiar and sweet fragrance associated with the mother.
- The author employed metaphors and allusions to heighten the allure while depicting the beauty and radiance of the mother.
Question 4 on page 14 of Textbook Grade 8 Language Arts Creative Horizon - Volume 1:
- Image of the mother:
+ Stanza 3: In her maiden days, the mother was beautiful and radiant like the 'moonlight',
+ Stanzas 4, 5: The mother appears as an image of diligence, enduring hardships in labor, simultaneously threshing rice and lulling the child.
+ Stanzas 6, 7: The 'silver thread, silver strand' garment, the 'white to the point of nausea' color of the mother's hair, and the 'stooped back' due to the weight of time. Despite the hardships, the mother's lullaby remains sweet, fragrant, conveying all that is beautiful.
- Uniqueness in portraying the image of the mother:
+ The image of the mother is intricately woven into the lullaby.
+ The image of the mother in each stanza unfolds in parallel with the child's affection for her.
Question 5 on page 14 of Textbook Grade 8 Language Arts Creative Horizon - Volume 1:
- Rhyming scheme: 'ngào' - 'dao'; 'xanh' - 'chanh'; 'rồi' - 'nội; 'nao' - 'cao'; 'ra'- 'xa'.
- Determination method: the rhyming words are all at the end of the lines and are one stanza apart.
Question 6 on page 15 of Textbook Grade 8 Language Arts Creative Horizon - Volume 1:
* Inspiration of the poem: the inspiration drawn from the sacrifices of a mother's life and the virtuous values she imparts to the child through lullabies.
* Functions of rhyme, rhythm, and the use of imagery in expressing that inspiration:
- The rhyme scheme, regular 2/4 rhythm mirrors the steady rhythm of the cradle, lulling the child to sleep.
- Author's use of imagery:
+ Richly evocative images: 'The moonlight adores the maiden mother', 'Mother's silver thread, silver strand/ Brown fabric with frayed threads',...
+ Auditory imagery: 'echoing rhythm'.
+ Visual imagery: 'Swinging rhythm', 'swaying', 'resonates'.
+ Expressive words directly conveying the author's emotions towards the mother: 'pray the sky won't storm, won't rage', 'love for mother', 'nostalgia'.
Question 7 on page 15 of Textbook Grade 8 Language Arts Creative Horizon - Volume 1:
- Theme of the poem: Through the imagery of the mother's lullaby, the author expresses profound love, gratitude towards the mother, and love for the homeland and country that the mother instilled in the child.
- The title 'Within Mother's Song' successfully conveys the theme of the work.
Question 8 on page 15 of Textbook Grade 8 Language Arts Creative Horizon - Volume 1:
- 'Within Mother's Song' - Trương Nam Hương: Love, gratitude towards the mother are intricately woven and portrayed through the imagery of the mother's lullaby.
- 'Mother' - Đỗ Trung Lai: Love, gratitude, a sense of helplessness against time etched on the mother's figure are expressed through the imagery of mother-and-child waves and bitter peppers.
- 'Clouds and Waves' - Ta-go: Maternal love is depicted by rejecting the enticement of clouds and waves to return home and play with the mother.
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Each poem about mothers offers a unique perspective, showcasing the individuality of each author. For Trương Nam Hương, the image of the mother is revived through the lullabies of childhood. Explore more exemplary essays and compositions currently available on Mytour, such as: Composing the Fragrant Leaves Poetry; Composing the Memory Field.
