Exploring Nature Through Poetry: Contrasting Tây Tiến and Việt Bắc

Prompt: Reflecting on Nature's Portrait: Tây Tiến versus Việt Bắc

Crafting a Literary Reflection: Comparing Natural Landscapes in Tây Tiến and Việt Bắc

Tip: How to Craft a Reflective Piece on Poetry, Prose

I. Outline: Reflecting on Natural Landscapes in Tây Tiến and Việt Bắc (Standard)

1. Introduction
- Quang Dũng and Tố Hữu stand out as exceptional revolutionary poets during the arduous resistance against the French.
- Quang Dũng's poetic style portraying soldiers exudes a blend of romance and heroism, akin to an epic ballad.
- Conversely, Tố Hữu's writing adapts to revolutionary periods, with his Việt Bắc verses reflecting warmth and steadfast affection.
- Both Tây Tiến and Việt Bắc poems capture the Northwest mountainous landscapes, sharing some similarities yet bearing distinct nuances.

2. Body
* Excerpt from Tây Tiến:
- During a march through Phù Lưu Chanh in 1948, amidst the majestic mountains, Quang Dũng reminisced deeply about the beloved Northwest forests => the awareness of the natural scenery at Phù Lưu Chanh becomes even clearer...(Continued)

>> See detailed Outline: Reflecting on Natural Landscapes in Tây Tiến and Việt Bắc here.
 

'Ascending the winding slope deep
Pigs snort, clouds hover, rifles sniff the sky
A thousand steps up, a thousand steps down
Whose home lies beyond the distant Pha Luông rain?'
(Tây Tiến - Quang Dũng)

'Remember when enemies came, hunting
We fought side by side in the mountains and forests of the West
Mountains erected as solid fortresses
Forests shielding soldiers, surrounding enemy forces'

(Việt Bắc - Tố Hữu)

Quang Dũng and Tố Hữu stand as outstanding revolutionary poets, emblematic figures during the harsh anti-French resistance. Quang Dũng's poetry portraying soldiers always carries a glamorous, romantic, and heroic aura like an epic ballad. In contrast, Tố Hữu's style adapts to each revolutionary era, with his Việt Bắc verses exuding warmth and steadfast affection. Both Tây Tiến and Việt Bắc poems feature exquisite lines depicting the natural landscapes of the Northwest mountains and forests, displaying some similarities yet bearing distinct hues, as exemplified in the two verses above.

'Climbing the winding slope deeply
Pigs snort amidst clouds, rifles sniffing the sky
A thousand steps ascend, a thousand steps descend
Whose home lies beyond distant Pha Luông in rain?'

The verse above is excerpted from the opening of the work Tây Tiến, during a march through Phù Lưu Chanh in 1948. Facing the majestic mountains and forests, Quang Dũng reminisced deeply about the beloved Northwest, where the Mã River flows vigorously, where Sài Khao fades in mist, where Mường Lát blooms with flowers. Now, marching far away, amidst extreme perils of the forests and mountains, amid the weariness of the long journey, the memories grow even deeper, the awareness of the natural scenery at Phù Lưu Chanh becomes even clearer.

In just four succinct lines, the dangers of the mountains and forests are delicately revealed. 'Ascending the winding slope deeply,' the artistic repetition of the structure 'Ascending...deeply...' combined with descriptive terms like 'winding slope,' 'deeply,' allows readers to easily imagine the unique terrain features, the rugged path, the continuous ascent and descent, the steep inclines where soldiers must endure hardships, where a moment of negligence, a nodding-off, could lead to perilous falls at any time. Moreover, this is a place 'where pigs snort,' with sparse clouds, mist drifting lightly, chillingly, eerily silent, evoking feelings of loneliness, longing. The image of 'rifles sniffing the sky' is remarkably unique, a boundless creative expression by Quang Dũng in portraying altitude, where there are deep abysses but also towering heights, as if the muzzle of a soldier's rifle on their shoulder could touch the distant blue sky. It reflects the joyful, innocent spirit of soldiers, despite facing immense danger, they can still be cheerful, alleviating seemingly insurmountable difficulties. The challenges of the terrain are further emphasized in 'A thousand steps ascend, a thousand steps descend,' easily evoking images of steep, continuous slopes, no stopping points, making soldiers shed countless drops of sweat, with tired legs, trembling hands, clenched teeth enduring the entire march. The perils of the deep forests and treacherous waters accentuate the hardships, the toils of our troops in the early days of resistance against the French, yet with a steel spirit, unwavering patriotism, our army overcomes all, composing an endless heroic saga. Despite the rugged terrain, the harshness, the Northwest mountainous scenery still reveals gentle, romantic beauty, in the clear, determined eyes of Quang Dũng, he still sees in the distance the life of the people, 'Whose home lies beyond distant Pha Luông in rain?' It's serene, it's gentle under the white, cleansing rain, it's what soldiers always look to, always protect day and night.

In the work Việt Bắc, there are many passages describing the natural scenery of the Northwest, each scene is beautiful, full of color and deeply imbued with steadfast affection. The following verse portrays the profound connection of the Northwest mountains and forests with our troops during the arduous days of resistance, it's the longing of those away from home for those who remain, deeply profound.

'Remember when enemies came, hunting
We fought side by side in the mountains and forests of the West
Mountains erected as solid fortresses
Forests shielding soldiers, surrounding enemy forces'

Tây Tiến and Việt Bắc stand out as two remarkable resistance poems in the 12th-grade Literature curriculum. They are frequently included in semester exams and high school graduation tests. To review and reinforce understanding of these works, alongside analyzing the portrayal of nature in excerpts from Tây Tiến and Việt Bắc, the list of notable essays for 12th grade offers numerous insightful compositions and poetry interpretations for reference. These include: Interpreting verses from Tây Tiến and Việt Bắc, Analyzing Quang Dũng's poem Tây Tiến, Reflecting on excerpts from Việt Bắc and Tây Tiến, Reflecting on the 'Four Bình' painting in Việt Bắc's poem...