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Analyzing the following verse from Quang Dũng's poem Tây Tiến: 'Tây Tiến military unit doesn't grow hair... Sacrificing their lives on the battlefield without regret for the verdant youth'
Sample essay on Discussing the verse from Quang Dũng's poem Tây Tiến: 'Tây Tiến military unit doesn't grow hair... Sacrificing their lives on the battlefield without regret for the verdant youth'
Essay
Great poems often evoke various types of emotions and aesthetic resonance in readers, sparking debates about words, images, emotions, and more. Quang Dũng's Tây Tiến is one such poem. Over half a century has passed, and Tây Tiến not only stands firm but also possesses a miraculous vitality. In the soul of poets, Tây Tiến is a time to love, to remember, recalling the memories of soldiers during the days of living and fighting together with the army, remembering the treacherous yet majestic mountains of Northwest, with its poetic and dreamlike scenes. It reminisces about the arduous marching days, beautiful memories, and the warm moments in the homeland, the sincere connection with the people... If in the first two stanzas of the poem, readers approach the image of the soldier indirectly, the third stanza directly portrays the portrait of the Tây Tiến soldier:
Tây Tiến military unit doesn't grow hair
Green army, like the fierce jungle
Eyes staring, sending dreams across borders
Nights dream of Hanoi, elegant and fragrant
Scattered along the border, graves in a distant land
Battlefield marches, not regretting the verdant years
Richly adorned robes replace the shroud, back to the land
Sông Mã river roars in a solo journey.
At that time, besides Quang Dũng, there were familiar faces like Dr. Phạm Ngọc Khuê, battalion commander - musician Như Trang, poet Trần Lê Văn... They were all young men from Hanoi. The Tây Tiến army consisted mostly of intellectual youth from Hanoi (from schools like Pedagogy, Bưởi, Thăng Long, Văn Lang...). They brought not only the spirit of 'Determined to die for the Motherland, determined to live' to the battlefield but also the elegance and grace of Tràng An people. The challenging and austere life of war couldn't dampen the joy, vibrancy, love for life, and dreams of the Tây Tiến soldiers. The Tràng An qualities permeated their blood and soul. Quang Dũng, a multi-talented young man (poetry, painting, music...), who was also a platoon leader in the Tây Tiến army, succeeded in portraying the portrait of Tây Tiến soldiers, bringing readers aesthetic resonance about the heroic and graceful warriors. The image of the soldiers in Quang Dũng's poetry faintly resembles the heroes in ancient literature or the national heroes donning their robes, setting off without a fixed return date.
During the resistance against the French, poems about soldiers often depicted simple, rustic farmers in military uniforms.
Then comrades of Chính Hữu, Cá nước by Tố Hữu, all describe the soldiers as 'village-born.'
His shirt torn at the shoulder
My pants patched with two pieces
A frozen smile
Feet bare...
(Comrade - Chính Hữu)
The soldiers in Quang Dũng's Tây Tiến possess distinctive features yet are portrayed through a unique artistic style. Using a romantic and spirit-stirring approach based on memories (nostalgia), Quang Dũng erected a poetic monument to the Tây Tiến soldiers.
It is a vivid, majestic portrait:
Tây Tiến army, hairless heads
Green soldiers, the color of leaves, ferocious and mighty
Some opinions argue that this is the pinnacle of uniqueness. Conversely, some believe that the images of the 'bald battalion' and 'ferocious like tigers' are not authentic, even making the image of the anti-French soldiers appear 'grotesque.' Perceiving the poem in this way is both inaccurate to the characteristics of romanticism and lacks a full understanding of the realities of the resistance war. The reality of the resistance against the French is not only the soldiers disguised as 'reeds rustling in the wind' but also the famous 'snipers' of that time. Therefore, the images of the 'bald battalion,' 'green soldiers,' and 'ferocious like tigers' are both a reality and a product of inspiration and romanticism.
'Bald battalion' portrays a troop with all their hair fallen out, a consequence of the jungle fevers or having to cross the 'sacred water forests'; 'green soldiers' means a troop with greenish skin like tree leaves - this is also a result of severe hardships and deprivation; however, the troop still exudes a 'ferocious like tigers' appearance, meaning still as fierce as the tiger species of the green forest. This is a way of likening the heroes in an ancient style, not to 'demean the image of the soldiers' as some may think.
The heroic tone of the poem emphasizes the majestic nature of the 'battalion.' The description of the portrait of Tây Tiến soldiers reminds us of Phạm Ngũ Lão's verse during the Tran dynasty, depicting heroic figures with 'East Asian heroism':
Majestic mountains and rivers during autumn
Three armies with the spirit of a hundred tigers
(The dance of mountains and rivers through several autumns
Three powerful armies swallow the buffalo).
The beauty of the verse lies in the heroic and resolute spirit of the Tây Tiến battalion, a beauty resonating with the echoes of tradition and the zeitgeist, between the warriors of old and the soldiers of Uncle Hồ today.
The following two verses vividly depict the lively inner life of the Tây Tiến soldiers:
Eyes wide open, dreams sent beyond borders
Night dreams of Hà Nội in graceful fragrance
'Both verses lock both worlds' (Vũ Quần Phương), 'seeing the solo performance of the Hanoi boy emerge' (Đặng Anh Đào) is both heroic and graceful. The image of 'wide-open eyes' expresses the inexhaustible determination of the flames of border defense. It also reflects the aspirations, the desire for achievements, and the burning resentment of the Tây Tiến people. Even in the harsh and rugged life of combat, these soldiers still reserve their souls for truly gentle and affectionate images: 'Night dreams of Hà Nội in graceful fragrance.' War is indeed cruel, but it cannot rob the elegance of the Hanoi boys. Nothing can prevent those dreamy moments in the souls of the soldiers. There was a time when Tây Tiến was labeled with 'falling dreams,' 'falling sorrows,' mainly because of verses like these. In fact, the verses have depicted the beautiful soul of the Tây Tiến soldiers. Nguyên Đình Thi also successfully expressed this beauty in the poem 'Land':
Long nights of marching and boiling rations
Suddenly restlessness recalls the eyes of the beloved.
In contrast to the longing of the soldiers in Nguyễn Đình Thi's poetry and other poets. Quang Dũng expresses the soldiers' emotions through dreams, making the longing as romantic as their own souls. Dreams have uplifted the human spirit. Truly elegant and graceful!
Talking about war, talking about the soldier's life cannot avoid talking about death. Quang Dũng does not shy away, and the poet spoke in his own way:
Scattered along the border, graves in a distant land
Battlefields traversed, no regret for a green life
Robe replaces the shroud back to the land
Sông Mã roars a solitary march.
The essence of the 'warrior's song' is revealed in a heroic and poignant manner. The poet borrows an ancient poetic idea (Chinh phụ ngâm), but the sentiment is very fresh. The three words 'graves in a distant land' evoke a silently mournful feeling - the silent sacrifice of anonymous soldiers. The meaning of the opening verse is immense: scattered here and there along the 'border,' these 'graves in a distant land' have no wreaths, no incense, truly cold and desolate. The portrayal of the battlefield would become bleak if viewed pessimistically. However, Quang Dũng's poetic soul, whenever touching upon this sorrow, is uplifted by the wings of ideals. The following verse, like an invisible force, has elevated the preceding one. 'Battlefields traversed, no regret for a green life.' The tragic becomes magnificent. With the spirit of dedication, volunteering, the most vibrant youth was offered to the noblest ideal. They fell calmly, without any entanglements, no slightest regret, death viewed as 'light as a tuft of pink feathers.'
Writing about war, many poets have avoided death. Quang Dũng perceives death as an inevitable reality of war. The death of soldiers through Quang Dũng's poetic lens is truly majestic without any falsehood. The poignant aspect of the verse has affirmed the life philosophy of an entire generation during the harsh years of resisting the French: 'Resolve to die for the Motherland, determined to live.' Understanding the indomitable spirit of a nation is only fully realized through Quang Dũng's verse.
The next two lines continue to speak of death in the epic and heroic tone:
Robe replaces the shroud back to the land
Sông Mã roars a solitary march.
The tragic truth is: soldiers sacrificed on the marching route lack even a simple shroud. Quang Dũng's poetic eye envelops his comrades in elegant robes. 'Robe' is a combination of the words 'clothing' and 'battle clothing,' making it both simple and elegant. This, according to Quang Dũng, is to 'console the souls of the soldiers.' Originating from comradeship, this love compelled the graceful soul of poet Quang Dũng to find a beautiful image to 'elevate' the death of the soldiers. Fallen soldiers adorned in red battle clothing beneath the resplendent glory of ancient warriors. 'Robe replaces the shroud back to the land.' The verse carries the strength of praise. No other word can replace 'back to the land' in this verse. 'Back to the land' not only expresses the sacrifice of the soldiers but also conveys the appreciation and love of those comrades left behind. 'Back to the land' merges with the soul of the nation, becoming immortal alongside the sacred souls of rivers, mountains, and the enduring homeland. The Sông Mã river roared a fierce and majestic 'solitary march,' bidding farewell to the souls of the soldiers with deep sorrow and admiration. The losses, like compressed sorrows, accumulated in the echoing roar that shook the mountains and forests along the Sông Mã river. These heroes sacrificed for a land blossoming with poetry and music, singing the eternal military march with nature.
The uniqueness of this passage lies not only in the contrasting techniques but also in the use of words, especially verbs. Poet Vũ Quần Phương noted: 'The internal force in Quang Dũng's poetic inspiration often pours down through verbs.' The verb 'roars' in this verse resonates continuously, echoing into the western mountains and reverberating in the reader's soul. Harmonizing with the verbs are Sino-Vietnamese words (border, distant land, battlefield, robe, Sông Mã, solitary march). The poet has transported readers into an ancient and dignified space. All these artistic techniques reveal the harmony between tragedy and heroism, creating the essence of the monumental statue of Tây Tiến soldiers.
This is a passage of heightened intensity within the entire solitary march of Tây Tiến. The majestic essence has crafted a unique monument to Tây Tiến soldiers. The verse concludes, but along with the solitary march of the Sông Mã river, the resonance of Tây Tiến continues to echo through the ages.
After , you can delve into analyzing the final section of the Tây Tiến poem or refer to The gallant beauty of the soldier image in the Tây Tiến poem to reinforce your knowledge.
