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The sample essays we introduce here will help you better understand the beauty of soldiers in these two famous poems, portraying them as patriotic, courageous individuals who fight wholeheartedly, ready to overcome hardships. These essays provide students with good references for studying literature effectively.
Compilation of sample essays expressing my feelings about the image of soldiers in the poems 'Comrade' and 'Poem about the windshield-less truck team.'
I. Outline comparing the image of soldiers in the two poems
1. Introduction:
- Both Chinh Huu and Pham Tien Duat were poets who wore the uniform of soldiers. They both experienced the hardships and heroism of the two great resistance wars.
- 'Comrade' (by Chinh Huu) and 'Poem about the windshield-less truck team' (by Pham Tien Duat) are two highly successful poems that depict the theme of soldiers. Despite being composed in different circumstances, both poems successfully portray the image of revolutionary soldiers.
2. Body:
- Context of composition
+ 'Comrade' was written in 1948, during the early stages of the resistance war against the French.
+ 'Poem about the windshield-less truck team' was composed in 1969, during the most intense period of the anti-American resistance war.
- Background of the soldiers
+ The soldiers in 'Comrade' come from rural areas, where they endure the hardships of salty water and acidic soil. They are untrained soldiers who take up arms directly to fight for their country out of love and hatred for the enemy.
+ The soldiers in 'Poem about the windshield-less truck team' are young men who are trained to work as drivers on the Truong Son trail. Although they do not directly engage in combat, they contribute significantly to the national resistance effort.
- Posture of the soldiers
In both poems, the soldiers appear with a proud and unyielding posture:
+ In 'Comrade,' the soldiers are depicted in the posture of 'Guns beside guns, heads close to heads...'
Standing side by side, ready to confront the enemy, always prepared to fight.
+ In 'Poem about the windshield-less truck team,' the soldiers are portrayed in the posture of
'Calmly sitting in the driver's seat.'
Look at the land, look at the sky, look straight ahead.
It's a calm, honest, upright posture, ready to face hardship without fear or hesitation.
- Characteristics of the soldiers
+ They possess a sensitive, optimistic, and life-loving soul:
The soldiers in 'Comrade' march off to battle but always keep in their hearts memories of their homeland, the land of their birth - where there are ancient wells, humble homes, and the images of beloved ones. The image of 'The moonlight hanging by the gun's muzzle' is also a beautiful romantic portrayal of the soldiers' romantic, youthful, and flavorful souls in 'Comrade'.
The soulful beauty of the soldiers in 'Poem about the windshield-less truck team' is depicted through cheerful and humorous images: Seeing the wind wiping away bitter tears / Seeing the road running straight into the heart. On the road to battle, nature's harshness becomes poetic, bonding with humans, and the journey to the beloved South is always cherished in the hearts of each soldier.
- Unyielding spirit overcoming all difficulties and challenges.
+ In 'Comrade', the soldiers face material shortages, the brutal jungle fever...
+ In 'Poem about the windshield-less truck team', the soldiers endure hardships and difficulties while sitting behind the wheel of trucks without windshields.
+ They all overcome challenges with extraordinary determination, resilience, and an optimistic outlook...
- Spirit of unity, love, and bonding with each other
+ This is the recurring theme throughout the poem 'Comrade'.
+ The image of holding hands through broken windows in 'Poem about the windshield-less truck team' poignantly expresses the deeply affectionate bond among the soldiers driving on the Truong Son road.
Love for the country, deep-seated hatred for the enemy, and the resolute determination to repel the enemy are the most admirable aspects of the soldiers in both poems.
3. Conclusion
- The two poems were written at different times, with different artistic techniques, creating unique and distinct artistic images. The soldiers of the anti-French era were contemplative, thoughtful, and introspective, while the soldiers of the anti-American era were cheerful, humorous, and innocent with their youthful vigor and fervor.
- The two images in the two poems convey different beauties, but they both represent the qualities and demeanor of the Vietnamese people in the revolutionary era.
II. Sample Essay: My Impression of the Image of Soldiers in 'Comrade' and 'Poem about the Windshield-less Truck Team'
Sample Essay 1
As military poets who grew up in the war to protect the Fatherland, Chinh Huu and Pham Tien Duat have experienced and understood the hardships and difficulties of soldiers. Their hands have held guns in battle and have also written many poems about them - about brave, courageous soldiers with high camaraderie. 'Comrade' by Chinh Huu and 'Poem about the Windshield-less Truck Team' by Pham Tien Duat have depicted soldiers with beautiful spirits and souls.
In 1948, 'Comrade' was born and quickly became popular. In the years of danger on the battlefield, the image of the soldier was the most beautiful symbol of life and naturally entered Chinh Huu's poetry. Meeting at a point: love for the country. In response to the sacred call of national salvation, they temporarily left behind their water buffalo, plow, and picked up guns to defend the Fatherland. Unfamiliar with each other, but the revolutionary ideals shone into their hearts, making them closer and more determined to fight. Similar to the soldiers in Hong Nguyen's poem 'Remember':
Strip the railway tracks
Forge more knives and swords
Cotton clothes in the air
Go hunt the enemy, fight
In extremely harsh combat conditions, amidst deprivation, the fighting spirit of these soldiers surges strongly, boiling with determination. They fear no danger or hardship, steadfastly holding their guns to defend their homeland, their country. They stand shoulder to shoulder, bravely fighting together:
Lovingly, hands clasped together.
Is there any difference in that sacred camaraderie spirit in Phạm Tiến Duật's poem 'The Squad Without Windshields':
Hands clasping through the shattered glass
Regardless of shortages and hardships, they still embrace, still cheerful and optimistic, loving life even more. That handclasp embodies a sacred comradeship, they instill in each other the belief in victory, that love, and courage. Life and death, it seems in the hearts of each soldier there is no such concept. They hold their guns, they leap onto the vehicle ready to depart, knowing ahead of them lies myriad difficulties and dangers, yet here there's still a tone of optimism, love for life, regardless of all the hardships and dangers:
Calmly seated in the driver's seat,
Looking at the land, looking at the sky, looking straight ahead.
They still possess the spirit of soldiers, they are not daunted, despite the hardships of weather, of war, they still direct their hearts towards the Fatherland:
The vehicle keeps moving for the South lies ahead.
As long as there's a heart inside the vehicle.
If in Chính Hữu's poem 'Comrade', the soldiers appear with a brave fighting spirit, a sacred and noble comradeship; then in Phạm Tiến Duật's poem 'The Squad Without Windshields', the revolutionary consciousness of the soldiers is even higher. They are more optimistic and love life even more. The image of the soldiers appears youthful, vibrant, and more loving of life.
Through these two poems, we understand more about the soldiers. Their image appears truly beautiful, they are the symbols, the hopes, and aspirations of the people entrusted to them. For the readers, an idealistic and immensely sacred light is perceived.
Sample 2
Being military poets matured in the wars to protect the Fatherland, Chính Hữu and Phạm Tiến Duật have lived, experienced, and deeply understood the lives of soldiers on the battlefield. On the hands of these poets are not only firm guns against the enemy but also the blossoming of marvelous verses about soldiers. Two of those poetic works are 'Comrade' by Chính Hữu and 'The Squad Without Windshields' by Phạm Tiến Duật. Both portray the image of soldiers in the armed forces of the Vietnamese people, but alongside the noticeable similarities, in each poem, there are unique beauties.
Chính Hữu's poem 'Comrade' was born in 1948, in the early years of the arduous resistance against the French, when our government was still in its infancy. The soldiers in 'Comrade' are those who fought against the French, they joined the resistance wearing the brown uniforms of farmers, from the poverty of floodplains:
'My homeland, brackish water, sour fields
My village, poor, fields plowed on rocks'...
Meanwhile, Phạm Tiến Duật's poem 'The Squad Without Windshields' came out in 1969, during the intense period of the resistance against the American invaders. The soldiers of this era were very young. Most of them had just left the school desks, their souls still basking in their youth. They were individuals:
'Cutting through Trường Sơn to fight the Americans
With hearts ablaze for the future'.
Diverse circumstances and conditions inevitably lead to differences in the revolutionary consciousness of the soldiers in the two poems. The perception of war by the soldiers against the French is simpler, not as profound as during the resistance against the Americans. In 'Comrade,' the most sacred sentiment mentioned is comradeship, camaraderie. In 'The Squad Without Windshields,' we see the emergence of the concept of patriotism, national spirit:
'The vehicle still moves forward for the South
As long as within it beats a heart'.
Living amidst the battlefield with sacred camaraderie, the soldiers against the French reminisce about their families: elderly mothers, foolish wives, innocent children. Those resisting the Americans are different. They understand that the resistance is arduous and still ongoing. Hence, the convoy along the road to the front line has become a shared home and comrades have become flesh-and-blood family:
'At Hoang Cam Kitchen, we stand beneath the sky
Sharing utensils signifies family'.
And the fundamental difference between the two main poems lies in the poetic style of the two authors. Chinh Huu employs a realistic - romantic style to depict the images of the soldiers in the early stages of the resistance, facing numerous difficulties and shortages:
'Your jacket torn, my pants patched
Frozen smiles, barefoot'
Romantic inspiration is imbued with emotions about sacred comradeship: 'Comrade!' along with richly evocative images like 'moonlight guns hanging.' The poem 'The Squad Without Windshields' is constructed using a romantic - realistic style. The hardships and shortages are not avoided:
'No windshield, no lights,
No hood, the truck scratched'.
But above all, it's still the defiance, the mischief of the optimistic, life-loving young soldiers:
'Calmly at the steering wheel I sit
Look at the land, look at the sky, look straight ahead'
'Yeah, there's dust in the wind'
'Yeah, the clothes are wet,'...
It can be said that in 'Comrade' by Chinh Huu, the poet portrays soldiers with sacred comradeship sharing the hardships and hardships of a difficult, deprived wartime life. The poem 'The Squad Without Windshields' by Pham Tien Duat depicts the youthful, lively, life-loving, mischievous, and idealistic soldiers fighting against the Americans.
Despite the differences influenced by historical circumstances, the soldiers in both poems still embody the admirable qualities of the people's army soldiers. They have a love for their country, for their comrades, for their fellow soldiers.
For the call of the homeland, they have left behind the 'roots of the multiple-well,' the streets, the houses, and even their loved ones. In extremely harsh and deprived combat conditions, the fighting spirit of these soldiers rises strongly and fervently. They do not fear danger or hardship, still holding their guns firmly to defend their homeland, their country:
'Guns next to guns, heads next to heads'
'The car still moves forward for the South
As long as there's a heart inside the car'.
They stand side by side with their comrades, fighting bravely together. If in 'Comrade' it is:
'Embracing each other's hands tightly'
In the Poem about the Unglassed Jeep Squad, that image has become familiar:
'Holding hands through the broken glass door'
Regardless of deprivation and hardship, they still accept, still cheerful and optimistic, loving life more. That hand-holding is a sacred camaraderie, they transmit to each other the belief in victory, love, and that courage. Living and dying, it seems in the heart of every soldier there is no concept of that.
Despite the clear similarities and differences, it makes the soldiers portrayed through various shades, vivid and intimate. It primarily helps readers better understand the soldiers. Their image appears truly beautiful, they are symbols, the aspirations of the people entrusted to them. In them, readers see a lofty and sacred ideal. Not only that, the differences also reflect the unique styles of each author in their expression methods. This enriches and beautifies the artistic garden of the homeland.
Sample 3
In modern Vietnamese literature, the image of soldiers wielding guns to defend the homeland is truly significant, portraying the soldiers during the early years of resisting French colonialism and the liberation fighters of the South during the Vietnam War has been quite vividly reflected, each with its own beauty, as evidenced by the two poems 'Comrade' by Chinh Huu and 'Poem about the Unglassed Jeep Squad' by Pham Tien Duat.
The poem 'Comrade' was composed in 1948, included in the first collection titled 'Moonlit Guns.' The image of peasant soldiers holding guns is described in the poem along with a simple, rustic yet truly elevated beauty.
All of them are peasants who till the fields year-round, responding to the call of the nation, they voluntarily leave their homeland to fight. They are deeply patriotic, understanding simply that fighting is to protect themselves and their homeland.
The hardships of life and death have affirmed the noble qualities of these clothed soldiers. From all corners, unexpectedly they meet and become comrades, each other's comrades.
They are determined to depart decisively, yet cannot help but miss their homeland, their families. The soldiers' longing is truly simple and specific: 'rice fields, wells, banyan trees, thatched roofs...' all are places connected to where they buried seeds and cut the umbilical cords in their impoverished homeland.
The poem ends with a deeply symbolic image:
'Tonight the wild forest is salty with mist
Standing side by side waiting for the enemy to come
Guns raised under the moonlight'.
It's a simple and rustic image but at the same time a hymn to the sacred comradeship among people standing shoulder to shoulder to defend the homeland, bringing peace to the entire nation.
If the poem 'Comrade' speaks of the image of soldiers during the resistance against the French, then the poem about the unglazed jeep squad portrays the image of liberation soldiers in the harsh and resolute resistance against the Americans.
The soldier driving the jeep on the Truong Son road is incredibly brave, enduring hardships yet full of optimism.
Facing the enemy's planes, our drivers are often in a passive position, but thanks to the unwavering belief in the struggle to liberate the South, which is the principle 'Better sacrifice everything than accept losing the nation, never to be enslaved,' proclaimed by President Ho Chi Minh on behalf of the nation. They understand that the battlefield and comrades need weapons, food, medicine... to have the strength to fight back against the enemy's blows. The sacred sovereignty, independence, and freedom of the Fatherland, of the nation, urge them to act.
Every hardship is vividly depicted by poet Pham Tien Duat with extremely authentic, simple yet deeply impressive images in the hearts of readers.
The drivers accept these difficulties with a cheerful, indifferent attitude, mixed with a bit of personality and boldness.
The conclusion of the poem is truly beautiful, blending realism and romanticism together:
'No windshield, then no headlights,
No hood, the truck's scratched.'
The truck keeps moving for the beloved South ahead,
As long as there's a heart inside the truck.'
The military transport truck: no windshield, no headlights, no hood, the truck bed full of scars from enemy bombs. But the truck continues to run steadily towards the beloved South because inside the truck there's a heart full of passion, full of responsibility. The image of the heart in the verse is a significant artistic metaphor honoring the stature of the heroic drivers and elevating the value of both the artistic and thematic content of the poem.
The poem about the glassless squad is imbued with revolutionary romanticism, where the author depicted the soldiers with his profound admiration and affection.
They are volunteers, cheerful amidst hardship. With simple yet creatively evocative language and rhythmic poetry, the poem creates a beautiful portrayal.
The two poems by the soldier-poet were written in different circumstances and at different times but share the same romantic and deeply realistic style, aiming to praise the beauty of soldiers in defending the country.
Sample Essay 4
The focal point of Revolutionary Literature from 1945 to 1975 is the motherland, the fighting soldiers, the heroic people. The portrayal of soldiers in the two poems 'Comrade' by Chinh Huu and 'Poem about the Glassless Squad' by Pham Tien Duat is a beautiful depiction, contributing to the vivid portrait of Uncle Ho's soldiers with heroic qualities worthy of praise.
The theme of soldiers is a traditional topic in literature, showcasing the strong, heroic beauty of those who bear the responsibility to defend the country, its lands, and rivers.
The image of soldiers fighting the French in the poem 'Comrade' (Chinh Huu):
'Comrade' was written in early 1948, after the victory in Viet Bac in late 1947. With a realistic and romantic style, the poem depicted soldiers with admirable qualities, marking the hardships of the early days of resistance:
They were soldiers born from fields and farms. Quickly, they bonded with each other for a common purpose, a shared ideal:
'My homeland salty water, sour fields
My village poor, fields cultivated on rocky soil
You and I, two strangers
From different corners of the sky, yet fate brings us together'.
For the sacred homeland and the longing for a peaceful, free life, they are ready to depart for a great cause, leaving behind what is precious and dear in the countryside:
'The fields I leave to my dear friend to plow
'Ignoring the winds that shake the house'
Living in deep forests and poisonous waters, they are ready to endure together, sharing the hardships and scarcities of the soldier's life:
'Your shirt torn at the shoulders
My pants patched in several places
Frozen smiles
Feet bare'
Amidst hardship, they nurtured deep camaraderie: sharing, understanding each other's feelings; united and bonded
'In affection, hands clasping hands!
Tonight, salt mist fills the wild woods,Standing side by side, awaiting the enemy'
Not only that, no matter how harsh life gets, no matter how stubborn the enemy, they always turn towards the light, towards beauty: 'Heads under the moonlit guns'.
The poem 'Comrade' brings back to life a time of hardship, of his father, bringing back the fierce war. The poem evokes beautiful memories, deep feelings of affectionate attachment that only those who have been soldiers can fully understand and feel.
With carefully selected imagery, evocative yet familiar language, and successful use of parallelism and antithesis, Chinh Huu has composed an ode with refined, humble words that resound powerfully. The poem extols the sacred camaraderie, like a flame that keeps burning, never extinguishing, illuminating the dark night of war.
Depiction of soldiers during the resistance against the US in the poem 'Poem about the no-windshield squad' (Pham Tien Duat)
Emerging amidst the intense resistance against the US, the poem about the no-windshield squad portrays the natural, authentic life of the hard-fighting soldiers on the Truong Son road, yet brimming with optimism.
Despite the fierce reality of war, the truck drivers always maintain a dignified, relaxed posture:
'Calmly in the driver's seat we sit,
Gazing at the land, gazing at the sky, gazing straight ahead'
The lack of windshields in the trucks makes the vibrant world outside vividly unfold before their eyes:
'Seeing the wind blowing stings the eyes
Seeing the road running straight into the heart
Seeing the stars and suddenly the wings of birds
Like salt, like pouring into the cockpit'
Despite the hardships and dangers, they are full of optimism:
'No windshield, well then there's dust,
Dust sprinkles white hair like an old man
No need for washing, leisurely puffing on cigarettes
Looking at each other with muddy faces laughing ha ha'.
In them is the comradery, camaraderie, steadfast and enduring, together in life and death:
'The cars from within the falling bombs
Have gathered here to form a squad
Meeting friends along the way
Joining hands through the broken glass door.
Hoang Cam Kitchen we set up in the sky
Sharing a bowl and chopsticks means family there'
In them is the spirit of patriotism, the determination to fight and win, all for the beloved South. As long as the South still faces threats, they are ready to hit the road. Nothing can stop their journey:
'The hammock swings, the road is bumpy for the car to run
Off again, under the blue sky.
No windshield, then the car has no lights,
No car hood, the car body has scratches,
The car keeps running for the South ahead:
Just as long as there's a heart inside the car.'
Comradeship has turned into a driving force helping them overcome difficulties, dangers, and fighting to protect our beloved homeland. The strength of the soldiers in the era of Ho Chi Minh combines tradition and modernity. They are the embodiment of revolutionary heroism, the finest image of the 20th century 'Like Thach Sanh of the 20th century' (To Huu). The poetic essence emanates from unique images, from the inspiration of pride, courage, and youthful vitality of the drivers, from the vivid and evocative description of specific sensations.
Both poems vividly and successfully depict the image of soldiers: from the simplicity, sincerity in the thoughts of soldiers originating from the fields in 'Comrade' to the optimistic, youthful way of life, somewhat rebellious of the drivers in 'The Poem about the No-Windshield Squad.' These aspects have created a unique and distinctive feature of the image, leaving a mark in the hearts of readers.
With talent, experience, and wholehearted dedication to the soldier's life, poets - soldiers Chinh Huu and Pham Tien Duat have a common voice in praising the soldiers. Therefore, although born in different circumstances, different times, both poems highlight the noble and precious qualities of Uncle Ho's soldiers: courage; the will to overcome difficulties, hardships; an optimistic love for life, a spirit ready to fight and sacrifice for the mission of defending the homeland.
The image of soldiers in both poems embodies the beauty of the Vietnamese people in the revolutionary era: simple yet shining with patriotic spirit. This is a beautiful image, evoking in readers feelings of pride, admiration, and profound gratitude towards those who spared no effort, even their lives, to sacrifice for the nation.
Sample Poem 5
In the two resistance wars against French colonialism and American imperialism, many writers and poets created deeply nationalistic literary works, expressing love for the homeland, the fighting spirit, and the camaraderie in war. Writing about the theme of war, writers and poets often tend to depict the images of soldiers, as well as the bonds and solidarity between them, as an explanation for the extraordinary strength of the Vietnamese people, as well as the foundation and premise for the later victories of the Vietnamese Revolution. In depicting the soldiers, both Chinh Huu and Pham Tien Duat have portrayed the image of beautiful soldiers, worthy of respect.
The poem 'Comrade' by poet Chinh Huu and the poem 'The Poem about the No-Windshield Squad' by poet Pham Tien Duat are typical poems in the resistance poetry movement, both aiming to depict the image of soldiers in war. In these portraits, the soldiers all appear with the various beauties of character, of ideals. They are the heroes of the era, the nameless yet the ones who bring 'everlasting' life to us today, they are all those who are willing to dedicate their lives to the independence, freedom of the Vietnamese nation.
While there are similarities in ideals and qualities, the images of soldiers in the poetry of Chinh Huu and Pham Tien Duat each carry distinctive beauty for their respective eras, reflecting the talent and unique profound thoughts of each poet. Let's first explore the image of soldiers in the poem 'Comrade' by Chinh Huu. This poem was written during the resistance against the French, Chinh Huu not only depicts the image of soldiers but also uses those independent images to highlight the camaraderie of the soldiers.
'My homeland, salty water, sour fields,
My village poor, fields cultivated on rocks,
You and I, two strangers,
Fate from the sky, no prior acquaintance.'
These soldiers had no prior relationship, they were poor peasants from all over the impoverished countryside, their difficult living conditions heard the call of the Motherland, they set out to the battlefield, wielding guns to defend the country's life, the village, protecting life for the people they loved. Therefore, from strangers, without knowing each other, because of the same ideals to save the country, they met, fought together, and became comrades. In the harsh, deprived, and harsh life of war, on the battlefield, these soldiers shared the sweetness and bitterness of life together. From there, they gradually became united comrades:
'Guns by guns, heads beside heads
Cold nights shared, bonding as comrades
Comrade!'
Not only emphasizing the tight camaraderie, poet Chinh Huu also highlights the precious qualities of the soldiers, including the ideal of sacrificing for the motherland, being ready to give everything, not just their lives or youth but their very existence. They view death lightly, like a falling petal, departing without a return date. These noble ideals make the image of the soldiers even more splendid and admirable:
'I send my dear friend to plow the fields
The house stands firm, unaffected by the swaying wind
The well under the banyan tree remembers those who became soldiers
Guns poised under the hanging moon'
If the poem 'Comrade' was composed during the resistance against the French, then 'Poem about the glassless truck platoon' was written by Pham Tien Duat during the resistance against the Americans. The era greatly influences the writer's pen. In his work, poet Pham Tien Duat portrays the image of the truck drivers on the Ho Chi Minh Trail with all their determination, heroic ideals of sacrifice, and endearing optimism. They innocently recount the glassless trucks due to the war's bombs:
'No glass means no glassless trucks
Bombs shake, shatter the glass, leaving none
Calmly we sit in the cockpit
Look at the land, look at the sky, look straight ahead'
The vehicles, accompanying the truck drivers, traverse through the fiercely destructive air of bombs, their heavily damaged forms, shattered glasses giving them an eerie appearance. Yet, these material damages pale in significance as the drivers calmly navigate, fulfilling their supporting duties. Seated in the empty cockpit, these soldiers still harbor aspirations for struggle, aspirations for peace for the nation, expressed simply through their 'straight-ahead' gaze. The truck drivers also exhibit optimism, a love for life, with endearing innocence:
'No glass, but yes, there's dust
The dust sprays, hair turning white like the elderly
No need for washing, leisurely lighting a cigarette
Gazing at each other with muddy faces, laughing heartily'
So, the soldiers not only remain undeterred by hardships, not swayed by rain, bombs, or bullets, but they actively embrace these challenges, even finding joy in them. The portrayal of these soldiers is truly authentic, as they exhibit not only the noble qualities of heroes but also endearing traits of optimism and resilience, embodying the human spirit. The ideals of the truck drivers are admirable and inspiring: 'The vehicles keep moving for the South ahead / As long as there's a heart inside the vehicle'
Both 'comrades' by Chinh Huu and the poem 'Poem about the windshield-less truck squad' by Pham Tien Duat construct monumental steps in portraying the soldiers. They are individuals living in camaraderie with a profound love for the nation, possessing strong spirits of struggle and resilience.
The poem 'Tay Tien' by Quang Dung is also an outstanding piece of Vietnamese revolutionary literature, depicting the beauty of soldiers in war, both resilient and romantic. You can refer to the essay 'Analysis of the poem Tay Tien by Quang Dung' for a deeper understanding.
