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Prompt: Reflecting on Nguyen Dinh Thi's Artistic Voice
Reflecting on Nguyen Dinh Thi's Artistic Voice
Essay:
It is indeed accurate to say that literature is the artistic voice of the artist. They are invisible threads that connect and convey the emotions and thoughts of the artist to the readers. In 'Artistic Voice,' Nguyen Dinh Thi eloquently argues his perspective.
Nguyen Dinh Thi (1924-2003), originally from Hanoi, was a profound poet, writer, cultural theorist, and critic. 'Artistic Voice' was composed in 1948 and published in the collection 'Literary Issues' (1956).
In the first part of the work, Nguyen Dinh Thi delves into the analysis and clarification of the content of art. He believes that literature is an objective reality, encompassing everything that exists around us, borrowing materials from the colorful and diverse life, not something lofty or abstract. Perhaps resonating with Nguyen Dinh Thi's soul, the playwright Nguyen Huy Tuong wrote in 'Vu Nhu To': 'Art without being connected to life is just evil flowers,' or Nam Cao also had a very insightful artistic perspective: 'Oh, art doesn't need to be the deceitful moonlight, it shouldn't be the deceitful moonlight; art can only be that cry of pain, escaping from the mistakes of the past lives…'. Furthermore, art is not merely rigid, dry notes but genuine and profound feelings from the artist's soul. Through their subjective lens, the artist transforms familiar things into artful innovations. To prove his point, Nguyen Dinh Thi quotes two verses written by the great poet Nguyen Du:
'Green grass reaches the horizon
White pear branches dot a few flowers'
Spring is a natural phenomenon of life. The verse simply describes spring, but through a subjective lens, the soul's love for nature, life, and Nguyen Du's profound perception make spring brim with vitality, radiating freshness and vitality in every word—the vibrant beauty. Reading the verse, one can see spring in Nguyen Du's heart, authentic and splendid. Or the tragic death of Anna Karenina, deeply hidden within is the haunting, melancholic sorrow for the fate of individuals in society, lingering even after closing the book, feeling Tonio's emotions as he penned these profound lines.
From such typical examples, we can recognize that unlike social sciences, which consist of laws and objective theoretical aspects, literature delves into the spiritual lives of individuals and alters the varied thoughts and emotions hidden within each person.
Nguyen Dinh Thi not only discusses the core content of literature but also presents his views on the power and significance of literature. Literature holds power as a thread connecting the external world with individuals isolated from life, such as political prisoners, physically and mentally confined, tortured in narrow, suffocating spaces. Artists in such circumstances channel their thoughts into poetry and prose, viewing it as a new world, a connection to the outside world. Ho Chi Minh dropped a precious gem into Vietnamese literature with his prison diary, containing humorous verses brimming with optimism, such as:
'In prison, no wine, no flowers
The beauty tonight is hard to ignore
One gazes at the moon outside the window
The moon peeks through the crack, gazing at the poet'
In the same circumstances, To Huu also wrote 'When the fox sings fervently, ardently, longing for freedom burns, with an impressive line, reaching the emotional realm 'In desperation, death is the only relief.'
Thus, literature is a means for artists to express emotions, perspectives on life, while providing them with sharp weapons, inspiring resilient spirits, nurturing the artist's soul to remain pure and steadfast in difficult, harsh circumstances. Additionally, in the works of Nam Cao or Thach Lam, there is the encouragement of the spirits of those in adversity or living in oppressive, exploitative conditions, inspiring struggle, changing lives, aiming for something better.
Literature is intertwined with production labor, linked to nature. For hardworking people, literature brings them hope, stirs emotions, like heartfelt songs, songs about love in life, songs about love for the country's nature. All are the works of farmers with muddy feet, through hard work, they discover the laws of life and incorporate them into folk songs, passed down from generation to generation to enrich spiritual life, enlighten the soul. Hands working while reciting a few folk verses, suddenly feel so enamored with life, fatigue instantly dissipates, that is the power of literature. Nguyen Dinh Thi, Nguyen Huy Tuong, and Nam Cao all share the same viewpoint, the same thought about the relationship between art and human life. Art cannot be separated from life; art borrows materials from life to create art, that is the true value of profound art. Art is also linked to human thoughts, art does not immediately reveal itself but is deeply hidden within the everyday life, 'hiding, quietly' waiting for a soul strong enough to explore them. And to do that, readers must feel it themselves, not imposed, obvious, or dry. Nam Cao wrote: '…writers must not evade art but must stand in hardship, open their souls to receive the echoes of life,' to understand, one must immerse oneself, expand the heart to feel, only then can one truly feel the most authentic art.
