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Exploring the poem 'Waves' by the poet Xuân Quỳnh
Sample essay on the poem 'Waves' by the poet Xuân Quỳnh
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Among the poems from the 'anti-American war' generation, Xuân Quỳnh stands out as a prolific and skillful female poet who excelled in portraying love. Her love poetry carries the distinct mark of autobiography, narrating timeless tales of love with a unique touch that sets Xuân Quỳnh's stories apart—neither overly candid nor unfamiliar with graceful twists and 'resounding' nuances. 'Waves' is one of her notable poems, featured in the collection 'Flowers along the Battlefield' (1968). Here, the desire for love, though represented metaphorically through the image of waves, is not unfamiliar to poets who explore the intricacies of love.
Before Xuân Quỳnh, there were countless talented poets who delved into the theme of love. However, Xuân Quỳnh seemed uninterested in competing with them. She modestly shares her own experiences without offering explanations to others, without constructing theories, and without stating anything beyond her own perception and experiences. When she says:
Longing for Love
Anxious heart within swells
Firstly, we must understand that she is speaking about herself, confessing her own 'swelling' anxiety along with the self-awareness of her youth. If these words resonate with many, that's a different story. Xuân Quỳnh's perspective comes from within. It's not like the reasoned speculation of the aged but accurate researchers of the psychology of love; instead, it originates from her inner self. Similarly, when discussing the inception of love, Xuân Quỳnh truly stands amid her own hesitations:
Amidst the boundless waves and sea
I think of you, I think
I think of the vast ocean
Where do the waves arise?
Waves start with the wind, Where does the wind begin?
I, too, have no idea
When we will love each other
People often compare Xuân Quỳnh's lines 'I, too, have no idea, When we will love each other' with the line 'How can love be defined?' from Xuân Diệu's poem 'Why.' While there's a resemblance between them, the differences remain evident. Despite appearing dreamy, Xuân Diệu still defines and his definition is quite explicit. Xuân Quỳnh, on the other hand, isn't inclined towards explanations or analyses, even though there's a turmoil inside her demanding to 'find the depth,' to 'understand,' and to 'think.' She maintains the intact femininity in her soul with a nonchalant nod: 'I, too, have no idea.' The curiosity here is more of an emotional need than an intellectual one. It's like a wave, pushed forward, then recedes and spreads in each sweetness, being sheltered, gently caressed. Knowing that we are in love is enough. The curiosity is just for a more peaceful assurance with the existing happiness. However, as she wrote in another poem ('Boat and Sea'): '...love eternal, never stands still,' even if there's nothing particularly thrilling, love remains vivid, wanting to ripple through both dimensions of space and time:
Beneath the deep, a wave...
Above the water's surface,
Oh, the wave yearns for the shore,
Nights and days sleepless.
As a modern individual daring to live with all that she has, Xuân Quỳnh fearlessly expresses her inner struggles. In her consciousness, only 'him' matters. She stands firmly on the 'love stance' and highly values absolute loyalty:
Even if flowing northward,
Even if against the southern flow,
Wherever I think,
I turn towards him - one direction.
Those affirmations are versatile, expansive, and hold many challenges, challenges with circumstances and challenges with the love of 'him.' Those who hesitate and have a tendency to 'look elsewhere' in love will likely feel a bit 'startled' by such decisive declarations. Normally, people speak of going against the north and flowing towards the south, but Xuân Quỳnh reverses it. For her, even if there's a little disturbance, it's not significant. What matters most is the 'him direction,' wherever she 'turns towards.' When it comes to the fervor of Xuân Quỳnh's love, this poem serves as the most exemplary proof.
As the poem title explicitly states, the central metaphor here is the image of waves. At first glance, expressing the desire for love through that metaphor may not seem exceptionally unique. However, in selecting the object of personification, Xuân Quỳnh is entirely correct. The waves - Xuân Quỳnh - a character sincere if tripled, almost like one. In Xuân Quỳnh, there are many contrasting aspects like waves, never willing to settle, and like waves, always eager to 'find' within the vast sea of love and life:
Intense and gentle,
Noisy and silent,
Waves incomprehensible to themselves,
Waves finding their way to the depth.
Based on the rich, varied melody and the often turbulent surges of the poem, it's evident that waves are a living symbol rather than a mere illustration (illustrations are only the external shells of ideas, they die when the idea is fully understood by the reader). Xuân Quỳnh breathed her intense romantic spirit into the familiar image of the 'wave,' rejuvenating it, making it appear as if born anew with her love. Sometimes, her embodiment into the 'wave' is so profound that even the 'wave' seems...struggling, anxious, and busy in both ascent and descent. The lines 'Even if flowing...' and 'Even if against...' (as quoted) and the subsequent stanza clearly illustrate this:
Out in the vast ocean,
A hundred thousand waves there.
Each reaching the shore,
Regardless of myriad obstacles.
Exploring the profound analysis of the poem 'Waves' by poet Xuân Quỳnh above, I'm sure you've sensed the romantic, pure love, and simplicity conveyed by the female poet. To gain a deeper understanding of common exam topics, especially those related to the poem 'Waves,' you can refer to articles like Analyzing the poem 'Waves' to highlight Xuân Quỳnh's perspective on love, Exploring the metaphor of waves in the poem with the same title by Xuân Quỳnh, The soulful beauty of a woman's spirit in love through Xuân Quỳnh's 'Waves',... edited and compiled by Mytour before.
