Reflecting on the following verse from the poem 'Viet Bac': 'We return to ourselves remembering... Remembering whose melodious song of enduring love and loyalty:

Prompt: Reflecting on the following verse from the poem 'Viet Bac': 'We return to ourselves remembering... Remembering whose melodious song of enduring love and loyalty'

Exploring 3 exemplary essays Reflecting on the following verse from the poem 'Viet Bac': 'We return to ourselves remembering... Remembering whose melodious song of enduring love and loyalty'

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Sample essay #1: Reflecting on the following verse from the poem 'Viet Bac': 'We return to ourselves remembering... Remembering whose melodious song of enduring love and loyalty'

Enduring love and loyalty - these are among the many beautiful traits of revolutionary people. This beauty is manifested in numerous literary works during the resistance against the French and the Americans. We also encounter this beauty in Viet Bac by To Huu. Most notably, in the verse:

'Returning, we remember ourselves...
Remembering whose melodious song of enduring love and loyalty.'

Viet Bac brims with the longing of the resistance fighters for their revolutionary homeland over fifteen years of 'ardent and profound camaraderie. Countless 'remembering' resounds in the poem along with countless memories of those who departed and those who stayed. Remembering the battlefields, remembering 'Hong Thai village, Tan Trao banyan tree', remembering the nights of 'the troops marching resolutely', remembering 'the crimson flag fluttering in the wind at the mouth of the cave' and even 'remembering as if remembering a lover'... Amidst all these memories, emerges one that is both deep and wistful:

Returning, we remember ourselves...
Remembering whose melodious song of enduring love and loyalty.

The ten lines above constitute the fifth verse of the poem Viet Bac, which in itself is complete. It is a panoramic and representative picture of Viet Bac through the four seasons of the year. The picture is brilliant, vibrant yet nostalgic and wistful because it is filtered through the memories of those returning. The longing is deeply expressed in the farewell session:

We return, remembering ourselves
We return, remembering flowers and people together.

Twice 'we return' repeated at the beginning of the sentences - at the same farewell moment, but the sentence above is questioning the person, while the one below is expressing one's own feelings. Tô Hữu's poetic tone here is sweet and endearing. The farewell between the resistance fighters and the people of Viet Bac, between the upstream and downstream regions, has become a dual farewell (we - ourselves). The memories of the difficult days spent with the landscapes and people of Viet Bac gradually emerge in the minds of those departing. The scenery, the people of Viet Bac, everything is lovely, memorable. Foremost among them is remembering flowers with people. Flowers and people blend together in memory. Remembering flowers is recalling the beauty of Viet Bac's nature, which cannot be separated from the beauty of the people of Viet Bac who have nurtured and bonded with nature.

Reflecting on the verse 'We return, remembering ourselves... enduring love and loyalty'

That picture is depicted with gentle, subtle verses. It has vibrant, colorful hues, harmonious sparkling lights, cheerful, warm sounds. The scenery and people merge together: four pairs of six-eight lines describe the four seasons, the sentence above remembers the scenery, the one below remembers the people. And whichever scene or person is mentioned, each has something unique to remember. All of them present before us a magnificent, poetic picture of Viet Bac through the skilled brushstrokes of the author.

Each season is remembered by the poet with its most representative feature, depicted with delicate and evocative descriptions. Remembering the winter of Viet Bac is remembering 'green forests and bright red banana flowers.' Amidst the vast expanse of green, there appears a warm color (bright red), the winter picture of Viet Bac is no longer cold and desolate. Spring brings a different hue, overflowing with pure white, romantic: 'spring days blooming white forests.' This scene is somewhat reminiscent of Bác returning home:

Oh, this bright spring morning, Spring '41
White flowers bloom on the border forests
Bác returns... Silence. Birds sing
Merrily on the shore, joyously...

(Following in Bác's footsteps, Tố Hữu)

The four six-eight couplets that follow are used by Tố Hữu to depict the arrival of summer and the scene of autumn. If the dominant color of the dynamic scene is green with bright red flowers, of the spring scene is the white of plum blossoms, then of the summer is the beautiful bright yellow of bamboo forests: The cicadas sing, the bamboo forests turn yellow. This is one of the best types of verses in the poem Viet Bac. The six-word verse captures the transformation of nature's scenery. The verse resounds with the continuous chirping of cicadas amidst the dazzling yellow of bamboo forests under the summer sun. Finally, the autumn scene emerges with the gentle color of moonlight, the color of dreams of peaceful life amidst hardships. Every scene is beautiful, every season is lovely, and each season is a poetic, fascinating picture.

Those four seasons painting also reflects the profound beauty of the people of Viet Bac. The scenery serves as a backdrop for people, and people blend into the scenery, enhancing each other. It seems that those scenes must have these people, and the poet has incorporated into the Viet Bac painting those simple and lovely people: the image of someone climbing the mountain with a shiny knife under the sunlight, the hands 'stroking each strand of river weed' of the hat weaver, and the 'young girl picking bamboo shoots alone' amidst the chirping of cicadas and the yellow color of the bamboo forest. Even the melodious song of loyalty makes the autumn forest gentler and the peaceful moonlight brighter.

Without a deep understanding, intense love, and fond memories of Viet Bac, one cannot create such a magnificent and warm revolutionary homeland painting. But to have this painting, there must be the correct viewpoint and progressive outlook of the revolutionary poet. Unlike the past distorted views of the mountainous region and its people as a place of 'mysterious ghosts and poisonous waters' with savage, uncivilized people,...) Tố Hữu had a compassionate, loving, and benevolent view of the revolutionary homeland. This poetic painting stems from the poet's steadfast bond, from the poet's deep affection for the scenery and people of Viet Bac.

That intense feeling of longing and affection permeates the entire verse, and the gentle, solemn rhythm of the lục bát poetry form makes that sentiment nostalgic, fervent. The structure of the poem Viet Bac is a dialogue structure, with 'we' and 'ourselves,' with people leaving and people staying, but in reality, it is the fragmentation of one sentimental subject.

The verse above is the response, the explanation of the person leaving, but not necessarily. Remembering the scenery, remembering the people, remembering every vivid detail like that is the common longing of people who have bonded together, suffered together in 'those fifteen years of ardent devotion.'

'Oh! Has longing ever been so intense!' Longing traverses time, transcends space. It seeps deep into the human soul... And that longing persists, gnawing and poignant in the hearts of revolutionary soldiers of the southern region when far from beloved Viet Bac - the place that once nurtured them in the harsh days of resistance...

We return, do we remember ourselves?
We return, we remember the flowers with people
The green forest, the bright red banana flowers
The high mountain pass, the sun's glare tightening our belts.

Spring days softly blanket the white forest
Remember the ones weaving straw hats strand by strand
The cicadas singing, the forest whispers turning gold
Remember the younger sister picking bamboo shoots alone
Autumn forest, moonlight shines in tranquility
Remember whose melodious tune of love and loyalty.

In the same short verse, the word 'remember' is repeated five times. Longing pervades from the first sentence to the last. The first two lines are suggestive, subtly reminding: do we remember ourselves? As for me, I echo longing! The address conveys intimacy, profound affection. Though two, we are one; though one, we are two.

What does one remember upon departure? What does Viet Bac have to remember, to cherish? Has the verse elucidated clearly?

We return, we remember the flowers with people

The mountains and forests, the scenery of Viet Bac, are likened to 'flowers'. They are lush, vibrant, and 'refreshing'. Within that natural portrait, the image of the people emerges, simple, genuine, rustic yet extraordinarily noble! People and nature intertwine, bonding together to create the unique demeanor of Viet Bac.

Essay reflecting on the 6th poem of Viet Bac

The four seasons of the country unfold in concise verses, adorned with vivid imagery, carefully chosen details. Each season carries its own unique flavor.

In winter, the verdant forests dot with vibrant 'red banana flowers' and radiant golden sunlight. Spring arrives, the entire forest aglow with the white blossoms of plum flowers. As summer approaches, cicadas chirp and 'the forest whispers turn gold'. And as autumn descends, nature is illuminated by the gentle golden glow of moonlight. The verses overflow with dazzling colors: green, red, yellow, white... These colors vividly impact the reader's senses. Engaging with To Huu's verses is akin to admiring a vivid painting, where the hues are harmoniously and naturally blended, enhancing the beauty of the Viet Bac mountains and forests.

Time flows smoothly in the lines of poetry. It strides with firm steps, so much so that one hardly notices the changing seasons. Viet Bac's nature is also described along the vertical axis of time. In the morning, flowers 'blossom white in the forest', at noon, the sun shines bright yellow, and as night falls, the moon casts silver light everywhere... The Viet Bac mountains and forests seem like a living entity, changing with every moment...

And that magnificent, endearing scenery becomes even more harmonious and vibrant when the images of people appear. People are woven into nature, like the most beautiful flower emitting the most intoxicating fragrance. Each verse describing the scenery is coupled with a verse depicting people. Landscape and people blend harmoniously together. These are hardworking people, dedicated, passionate about their work. The ones 'tightening their belts', the ones 'weaving straw hats', the 'young sister picking bamboo shoots alone', and the melodious tune of love echoing amidst the bustling night of the forests and mountains... The image of people enhances the splendor of nature. They evoke a profound longing for those departing. Reading the verses, one can feel the simple yet luminous beauty of the Vietnamese soul. There, they relate to each other with deep, genuine affection, with loyalty 'through thick and thin'. They nourish soldiers, nurture the revolution, nurture the nation's resistance... The people of Viet Bac, though simple, are truly heroic.

Evoking the imagery of nature and people here, To Huu has expressed profound affection, deep love, and intense longing. We, with ourselves, ourselves with us, have experienced:

Loving each other, sharing cassava roots
Splitting a bowl of rice, sharing a blanket for warmth

We've shared the sweet and bitter, the hardships and struggles like that! How could we forget each other, you and I. That affectionate love has deeply ingrained itself in the souls of those staying and those departing. Therefore, when leaving, remembrance is a deeply etched sentiment, the author's emotion.

The poetic tone is gentle yet profound. The verse embraces optimism, joy of living, and belief in life. It carries a melodic tone, expressing the deep love for nature, profound affection for humanity, and the earnest love for the country by To Huu. The end of the verse echoes a sweet melody, evoking countless memories. Those memories follow the footsteps of the departing and cling closely to the hearts of those staying...

The first verse to use the rhetorical question 'do I remember myself', the second verse answers it, the word 'self' is repeated four times along with the sound 's' which resonates distantly, passionately. For Tố Hữu, the departing official not only remembers the difficult days 'sharing half a blanket and a bowl of rice', but also remembers the beloved beauty of the Flower and the Person. Here, the flower symbolizes the beauty of the Vietnamese nature in the Northern region. And the person is the people of Northern Vietnam with their poor ethnic attire but rich in spirit. The Flower and the Person intertwine with each other in a harmonious and charming beauty to create the unique and distinctive feature of this land. That's what creates a unique structure for the poem. In the remaining four couplets, the sixth line is for remembering flowers and scenes, and the eighth line is for remembering people. Each scene and person in every line has their own fascinating characteristics.

An essay on the poem 'Do I Remember Myself... the most faithful love and affection

When mentioning winter, we often think of the bone-chilling cold, the bleakness of rainy, windy days, the melancholy of the gloomy atmosphere. But in Tố Hữu's poetry about Việt Bắc, it's truly strange. Suddenly, winter becomes warm and unusual:

Green forests, bright red banana flowers
High passes, sunlight tightening belts

Dotted on the vast green canvas of the forest, the bright red banana flowers are blooming brilliantly under the sunlight. From afar, the flowers resemble twinkling torches illuminating a painting with contrasting yet harmonious colors, blending both classic and modern elements. The vibrant 'bright red' color of the banana flowers stands out amidst the lush greenery of the mountains, making the nature of Northern Vietnam vibrant, warm, and seemingly bursting with life, dispelling the inherent coldness of the wilderness. The verse evokes thoughts of the red color of pomegranate flowers in Nguyen Trai's poetry:

Red pomegranate blossoms still exude their redness
Red lotuses have lost their fragrance

From that association, we see that winter in Tố Hữu's poetry also radiates the warmth of summer rather than the bleakness of coldness, because the red color of banana flowers seems to erupt from amidst the green of the forests.

Accompanying the sparkle of those banana flowers are the people of the guerrilla zone, going up to the mountains to farm, cultivating fields to provide abundant potatoes for the resistance. 'High passes, sunlight tightening belts'. In the vast nature, people seem to become even more majestic and heroic. Here the poet doesn't depict their faces but captures the most radiant spiritual aspect. It is the sun's rays flashing on the edge of the forest knife across the back. Here, the verse carries the language of poetry but also the language of photography. People are like a focal point of light. Those people have also appeared in the most beautiful position, the 'high pass'. They are dominating the heights, dominating the mountains and forests, free 'These mountains and forests belong to us/ This sky belongs to us'. That's the posture of pride and steadfastness: Amidst the mountains and sunlight, amidst the vast sky and lush greenery. Those people have become the soul of the painting of Northern Vietnam's winter.

Winter fades, spring returns. When we mention spring, we immediately think of the fresh vitality of grass, flowers, of hundreds of species awakening after a long winter. Northern Vietnamese spring is no different:

Spring days dreamily bloom white in the forest
Remembering those who weave hats, carefully tucking every strand

Enveloping the scenery of spring is the gentle, pure white color of apricot blossoms blooming throughout the forest: 'Spring days dreamily bloom white in the forest'. 'White forest' is written in inverted order and the word 'white' is used as a verb to emphasize the color, the white color seems to overshadow all the green of the leaves, and illuminates the entire forest with the blurry, cool, dreamy white of apricot blossoms. The verb 'bloom' spreads the vitality of spring and abundant life. This is not the first time Tố Hữu has written about that white color, in 1941, Northern Vietnam also welcomed Uncle Ho in the color of apricot blossoms:

Oh bright spring morning of the 41st spring
The white border forest blooms with apricot blossoms
Uncle returns, silent, birds sing
The holy shore of reeds joyfully dazed

Spring becomes even more vibrant with the presence of people engaged in 'carefully tucking every strand'. People's natural beauty shines through their daily activities. From 'carefully tucking' and the poetic image, one can discern the hand of the working people: meticulous, precise, skillful, talented, agile, attentive, qualities that epitomize the people of Northern Vietnam.

As summer arrives with the bustling sound of cicadas, the painting of Northern Vietnam comes alive more than ever:

Cicadas chirp, forests are painted golden
Remembering my younger sister picking bamboo shoots alone

The time when cicadas chirp is also the time when forests turn golden. The verb 'turn' is strong, expressing the simultaneous golden hue of the bamboo flowers at the beginning of summer. The color of the bamboo trees turning golden seems to make the sunlight of summer and even the buzzing cicadas' sound become gleaming gold. This is a lacquer painting drawn with nostalgia, so it sparkles with light, color, and vibrant sounds. Tố Hữu not only has a talent for describing the unique beauty of each season but also for depicting the dynamic changes of time and scenery. In just one verse, we see the vivid cycle of time: the cicadas' chirping heralds the arrival of summer, and the Bamboo trees turn into a brilliant golden hue. This is a remarkable expression of national character.

Emerging in that golden and bustling nature is the image of a girl in ethnic attire carefully picking bamboo shoots to supply the guerrilla forces: 'Remembering my younger sister picking bamboo shoots alone'. Picking bamboo shoots alone doesn't evoke an impression of loneliness, as faint as the silhouette of a mountain girl in ancient poetry; on the contrary, it's very sentimental, poetic, and intimately affectionate. The poetic image also portrays the hardworking and caring beauty of the girl. Behind it, hides the author's deep empathy and appreciation.

As autumn arrives, the landscape of the guerrilla zone mountains seems to be bathed in the mystical blue moonlight, gentle and cool:

'Autumn forest bathed in moonlight, peace prevails
Remembering someone's faithful love song'

The vast space is filled with moonlight, the moonlight of freedom, of peace illuminating joy in every mountain and village of Northern Vietnam. We've also heard of the autumn full of moonlight in Uncle Ho's poetry from the guerrilla zone:

Moonlight creeps through the window, demanding poetry
Soldiers busy, asking to wait until tomorrow
The temple bell suddenly awakens, autumn dreams
There, news of victory in the neighboring region is announced

Here, there is no bell announcing victory, but there is the sound of singing. It's the pure singing of the ethnic people, a reminder of faithful love. It's also the singing of Northern Vietnam, of the mountains and forests, of the deep and intense affection built over fifteen years.

Yes! The painting of Northern Vietnam's autumn has completed the magnificent picture of the mountains and forests, closing the poem with the song of 'faithful love,' evoking in people and readers alike the profound emotions of love for the homeland.

With simple yet profound strokes, both classic and modern, Tố Hữu's poem above has highlighted the landscape and people through the four seasons of the guerrilla zone in Northern Vietnam. The scenery and people harmonize, embellishing each other, making the painting more intimate, vivid, and soulful. All melt into deep longing and fondness in the returning officer's soul.