Prepare Lesson 2: Self-Pity (Hồ Xuân Hương), Vietnamese Literature Grade 10, The Kite

Lesson 2: Self-Pity (Hồ Xuân Hương), Grade 10 Vietnamese Literature - The Kite

Prepare Lesson 2: Self-Pity - The Kite Grade 10 Vietnamese Literature

I. Preparation

1. Explore and take notes on information about Hồ Xuân Hương to aid in understanding this text.
Answer:
Information about Hồ Xuân Hương:
- Currently, the poet Hồ Xuân Hương's background, lineage, and origins remain unclear.
- Hồ Xuân Hương is honored as the 'Lady of Nôm poetry.' Her poetry has been translated into many languages worldwide.
- Hồ Xuân Hương's poetry expresses empathy for women's fate and affirms their beauty and aspirations.

📌 Some interesting articles about the poem 'Self-Pity'
📝Analysis of 'Self-Pity' - Vietnamese Literature Grade 11
📝Analysis of 'Self-Pity 2' - Vietnamese Literature Grade 11
📝Analysis of the protagonist's sentiment in the poem 'Self-Pity 2' - Vietnamese Literature Grade 11

II. Answering Questions

1. Determine the structure of the poem. Whose confession is the work, and what is it about? How does it relate to the title 'Self-Pity'?
Answer:
- Structure of the poem:
+ The first four lines: depict the lonely, desolate situation of the sincere character.
+ The last four lines: express the longing for happiness and the despair of the sincere character.
- The work is a confession of a woman about her sad fate, her pity before destiny, her struggle to rise but still falling into tragedy.
- The title 'Self-Pity' is a confession of emotions, feelings. Thus, the title has suggested the emotional content of the poem: the heartfelt confession about human life and the longing for life, the longing for happiness of women in feudal society. This is clearly demonstrated through the structure and the sincere character.

2. How do the images in the first four lines of the poem reflect the situation and mood of the sincere character?
Answer:
* The images in the first four lines:
- Time: 'Late night': the end time of a day, a time of rest but also opens up the inner life of the sincere character.
- Space: 'The distant drum resounds': the sound of the drum signaling the end of the night combined with the word 'resounds' evokes the feeling of the distant echo of the drum.
=> Opening up a vast, distant space reflects the emptiness of the sincere character.
- Mood of the sincere character:
+ 'The face devoid of its former beauty against the backdrop of water and mountains': The image of 'face devoid of its former beauty': a metaphor for the beauty of women combined with the word 'devoid' indicating loneliness, solitude of the woman.
+ 'The wine cup's fragrance sends one from intoxication back to sobriety': the sincere character seeks solace in alcohol to forget sorrow but the state of being 'intoxicated' then 'sober' shows the entanglement, impasse cannot be resolved.
+ 'The moon's shadow incomplete, not yet round': the metaphorical image of incompleteness, incompleteness in love.
=> The lonely situation and the mood of sadness, empathy for oneself of the woman.

Prepare Lesson 2: Self-Pity (Hồ Xuân Hương), Vietnamese Literature Grade 10, The Kite

3. What is unique about the natural imagery and the use of language, juxtaposition in the two thesis sentences? How does the poet's attitude manifest?
Answer:
The natural imagery and the use of language, juxtaposition in the two thesis sentences have contributed to the expression of the poet's mood, attitude towards the reality of life and his fate:
- Natural imagery: 'moss', 'rock'
- Language: Strong verbs: 'lay horizontally', 'thrust' placed at the beginning of the sentence.
- Juxtaposition:
Laying horizontally against the ground/ Moss in clusters
Thrusting feet into clouds/ Stumbling over rocks
=> The imagery of moss, rocks symbolizes small, fragile objects but combined with strong verbs shows movement to tear space apart: 'ground', 'clouds'. Thus, it expresses the aspiration to rise, not surrender, struggle, break all the constraints of society to seek a happier life.

4. Analyze the two concluding sentences of the poem to reveal the sincere character's heartfelt confession?
Answer:
The two concluding sentences of the poem have depicted the tragedy of the sincere character:
* 'Tired of springs coming and going':
- 'Tired': shows the state of weariness, fatigue of the sincere character.
- 'Springs coming and going': the immutable law of nature.
=> Spring comes and goes according to the immutable law of time while the youth of human beings does not return so the character falls into deadlock.
* 'A fragment of love shared bit by bit':
+ 'Fragment of love': small, incomplete.
+ 'Shared': verb indicating action of sharing with others.
+ 'Bit by bit': both 'bit' and 'bit by bit' are two adjectives indicating smallness, placing these two adjectives together increases the unhappiness of the sincere character when having to share the little love.
=> Reflects the unfortunate fate of women who have to endure the fate of being a secondary wife in feudal society.

5. In your opinion, what thoughts and feelings does the poet Hồ Xuân Hương express in the poem 'Self-Pity'? How does it remain relevant today?
Answer:
- In my opinion, the poem 'Self-Pity' (part 2) by Hồ Xuân Hương has portrayed:
+ Feelings of sadness, empathy for one's plight.
+ Longing for happiness of women.
- The poem still holds significance for contemporary life: cherishing the desire for happiness of women.

6. What emotions or impressions does the poem leave you with? Write a paragraph (about 8 - 10 lines) capturing that.
Answer:
Reading Hồ Xuân Hương's poem 'Self-Pity', I feel profound empathy for the plight of women in ancient society. Through the poem, Hồ Xuân Hương has depicted a scene of loneliness, desolation, and longing for happiness. The poetic imagery 'the face devoid of its former beauty against the backdrop of water and mountains' and the act of seeking solace in alcohol vividly illustrate the loneliness and emptiness of the sincere character. The more immersed the protagonist is in alcohol, the more sober she becomes, revealing the entanglement and impasse that cannot be resolved. Despite attempts to escape reality, depicted by lines like 'Laying horizontally against the ground, moss in clusters/Thrusting feet into clouds, stumbling over rocks', she still falls into tragedy, realizing the harshness of time. The little love that once existed now must be shared with others, reflecting the unfortunate fate of women in feudal society. The poem has evoked various emotions, stirring deep empathy for the unfortunate plight of women.

Reading Hồ Xuân Hương's poem 'Self-Pity' (part 2), one can't help but feel sorry for the fate of women in ancient feudal society. In addition to the above sample composition, tamienphi.vn also provides sample literary compositions for grade 10 such as:
- Composing the poem 'Fishing in Autumn' (Autumn Requiem, Nguyễn Khuyến), Vietnamese Literature Grade 10, The Kite
- Composing Vietnamese language practice lesson 2, Vietnamese Literature Grade 10, The Kite