Reflections on the Verse 'Bestowing Destiny'

Prompt: Please present your thoughts on the verse 'Bestowing Destiny' from the epic 'The Tale of Kieu' by Nguyen Du.

Thoughts on the Verse 'Bestowing Destiny'
 

I. Outline: Reflections on the Verse 'Bestowing Destiny'

1. Introduction

- General introduction about the author Nguyen Du (key aspects of the author's life, career, writing style, etc.)
- Overview of the work 'The Tale of Kieu' (origins, notable themes, artistic value, etc.)
- Brief overview of the verse 'Bestowing Destiny'

2. Body

a. Thuy Kieu reveals her innermost thoughts and attempts to persuade Thuy Van to take on the destiny
- The first two lines:
+ 'Dependence': a term used to express a pleading attitude, entrusting everything to the opposite person.
+ 'Dear': an attitude of respect, from an inferior to a superior, from a grateful person to a benefactor.

- Thuy Kieu presents reasons to persuade Thuy Van to take on the destiny:
+ Thuy Kieu talks about her current situation: Her love affair is intense and passionate with numerous vows, yet she stands at the crossroads between 'filial duty' and 'love'
+ Thuy Kieu recounts her love for Kim Trong: 'during the day of promises', 'during the night of vows',...
+ Thuy Kieu also presents other reasons, persuading Thuy Van with sisterly love, blood ties:

- Knowing that Van is still young, with many years ahead filled with love and happiness awaiting, but due to sisterly love, familial ties, she agrees to let Van take on the destiny with Kim Trong. U
- Using idioms such as 'flesh torn, bones worn out', 'smiling amidst nine streams', Kieu speaks of her impending death
→ Thus, with a coherent argument, Thuy Kieu relies on and persuades Thuy Van to take on the destiny with Kim Trong. This shows the complex emotional development and the cleverness, intelligence, sacrificial spirit, and loyalty of Thuy Kieu.

b. Thuy Kieu passes on tokens of love and gives instructions to her sister
- Kieu passes on tokens to her sister:
+ 'The ointment', 'the piece of cloud', 'the piano keys', 'the lingering scent' are 'tokens of faith', symbols of vows and promises, tokens of love, becoming shared belongings between Thuy Kieu, Kim Trong, and even Thuy Van.
+ 'This fate' - represents the love between Thuy Kieu and Kim Trong.
→ Painful, heartbreaking, and filled with turmoil when passing on these tokens to her sister.

- Thuy Kieu's instructions to her sister:
+ Using imagery and words evoking death such as 'sighing wind', 'soul', 'broken willow body', 'abandoned palace', 'sufferer of injustice',... shows Kieu's foreboding about her own future.
+ Thuy Kieu instructs Thuy Van to repay favors, fulfill duties, and clear her name.

c. Thuy Kieu's internal monologue, directed towards Kim Trong and their love
- Dialogue shifts to internal monologue, where verses vividly portray Thuy Kieu's emotions.
- Thuy Kieu deeply reflects on her reality with a fate adrift, unfinished, uncertain: 'broken strands of fate', 'fleeting destiny', 'fortunes as unstable as lime', 'lost flowers in the village',...
- The call of Kim Trong and the change in address from 'you' to 'Kim Lang' indicate Thuy Kieu's anguish and heartache.

3. Conclusion

Summarize the unique values of the content and artistic value of the excerpt 'Bestowing Destiny', and express personal thoughts.

II. Sample Essay on Reflecting on the Verse 'Bestowing Destiny'

Nguyen Du is a prominent poet, writer, and humanitarian of the nation, contributing many outstanding works to Vietnamese literature written in both Nom and Han characters. 'The Tale of Kieu' is one of his greatest works. Each excerpt in 'The Tale of Kieu' leaves a profound impression on readers, and the excerpt 'Bestowing Destiny' - taken from lines 723 to 756 is one of them. The passage portrays the tragic love of Thuy Kieu while also demonstrating her noble qualities.

At the beginning of the excerpt, the author allows readers to perceive Thuy Kieu's heart as she tries to persuade her younger sister, Thuy Van, to take on the destiny. 'Bestowing destiny' in any circumstance is difficult, and Thuy Kieu is no exception, yet she sincerely and delicately seeks reasons to persuade Thuy Van. The first two lines of the excerpt evoke the posture and demeanor of Thuy Kieu as she persuades her sister.

My dear, will you heed my plea?
And graciously attend to my request

The author Nguyen Du employs language in a truly unique and meaningful way. 'My dear' is a term used to express a pleading attitude, entrusting everything to the opposite person. 'Attend to' signifies respect, from an inferior to a superior, from a grateful person to a benefactor. The use of these two terms demonstrates the posture and position of Thuy Kieu towards Thuy Van. Kieu pleads, addresses Thuy Van with utmost sincerity because, above all, Kieu understands that in the current circumstances, she is indebted to her sister, needing her to fulfill a union with a man whom her sister has never met or known. Kieu's plea to her sister is a gesture of gratitude, a noble sacrifice. While seemingly illogical and contrary to conventional norms, in Kieu's situation, it is entirely rational because Thuy Van occupies the position of the benefactor.

After addressing Thuy Van, Thuy Kieu has revealed her innermost feelings to her sister, which may also serve as reasons to persuade Thuy Van to take on the destiny.

Amidst the tempest of love's turmoil
The adhesive binds the redundant threads upon meeting you
Since encountering Kim
During the day of promises, during the night of vows
No matter the turmoil
Filial piety and love remain unyielding

Six short lines, but perhaps enough for Thuy Kieu to express her current state of mind and circumstances. Thuy Kieu's love affair is intense and passionate, filled with vows, yet amidst the turmoil, tragedy strikes, and the once beautiful love seems to be shattered. Thuy Kieu is faced with the choice between 'duty' and 'love' - a choice not easy at all. Now, Thuy Kieu has no other option but to rely on Thuy Van, entrusting her to 'bind the redundant threads'. The words 'rely on you' seem to place all burdens on Thuy Van, like an earnest plea, a heartfelt entrustment from the depths of Kieu's heart. Not only does she reveal her current situation, but Thuy Kieu also briefly but comprehensively recounts her love story with Kim - a love filled with vows and promises, now left unfulfilled. Furthermore, to enhance persuasion, Thuy Kieu presents other reasons, persuading Thuy Van with sisterly love, blood ties.

The spring days still lie ahead for you
Pity the blood ties, heed the land's call
Even if I'm worn and torn
May your laughter still fill the air.

Kieu knows Van is still young, 'spring days still lie ahead' filled with love and happiness awaiting, but for sisterly love, blood ties, she agrees to let Van take on the destiny with Kim Trong. Additionally, using idioms like 'worn and torn', 'laughter amidst nine streams', Kieu speaks of her impending death - a death full of contentment, expressing her gratitude towards Van. Thus, with a coherent argument, Thuy Kieu relies on and persuades Thuy Van to take on the destiny with Kim Trong. This demonstrates complex emotional developments and the cleverness, intelligence, sacrificial spirit, and loyalty of Thuy Kieu.

After persuading Thuy Van, Kieu passes on her tokens of love with Kim Trong to her.

The comb with the cloud letter
This fate, keep this shared possession
Even if you become someone's wife
Pity those with tragic destinies, surely the heart will not forget
Losing you, there's still a bit of faith
The musical strings and the lingering fragrance from the past

Reading those verses above, surely the reader cannot help but feel pain and sorrow for Thuy Kieu's fate and situation. It's easy to see that the 'comb,' 'cloud letter,' 'musical strings,' 'lingering fragrance' are 'tokens of faith,' objects witnessing the love story of Thuy Kieu and Kim Trong. Yet now, Thuy Kieu must reluctantly hand them over to you, they become 'shared possessions' of Thuy Kieu, Kim Trong, and even Thuy Van. The only thing Kieu keeps for herself is 'this fate' - the love of Thuy Kieu and Kim Trong. Painful and heart-wrenching when passing on the tokens to you, Thuy Kieu is even more distressed when thinking of her own future, and thus she earnestly advises you, deeply moved.

In the future, whenever
Burn that incense to illuminate this musical string
Looking out at the grass and leaves
Seeing the wind rustling, it's nice for you to come
The soul still bears the weight of vows
The shattered willow body deserves to repay the bamboo plum
The altar distant from the face hides the words
Pour a cup of water to ease the blame.

With a series of imagery, words evoking death like 'the wind rustling,' 'soul,' 'shattered willow body,' 'altar,' 'someone bearing a grudge,'... it shows Thuy Kieu's foreboding about her future. It's a future full of turmoil, perhaps that's why Kieu thinks of her unjust death, the soul unable to escape as the vows with Kim Trong still linger. This once again shows the pain, desperation of Thuy Kieu. Then, Thuy Kieu instructs Thuy Van to repay debts and clear her name. Thus, it can be seen, Thuy Kieu passes on tokens to you, but in her heart, she still harbors an immense pain, the more painful, the more sorrowful, the more Thuy Kieu misses and loves Kim Trong.

Thinking about the future with so many ominous premonitions, Thuy Kieu then returns to the bitter reality to express her heart, longing for love and reminiscing about Kim Trong.

Now the branch breaks, the mirror shatters,
How can I count the myriad debts of love?
A hundred thousand gratitude I send to the love's army,
The short thread of fate has only that much
How pitiful, fate as bleak as lime
Already the water flows, flowers drift away from the village
Oh Kim Lang! Oh Kim Lang
Enough, enough, from now on I've failed you.

From dialogue form to monologue form, the verses clearly express Thuy Kieu's state of mind. More than ever, Thuy Kieu deeply realizes her transient, failed, and drifting fate. This is vividly shown through the use of numerous words and images like 'the branch breaks, the mirror shatters,' 'the short thread of fate,' 'fate as bleak as lime,' 'flowers drift away from the village,'... Additionally, the verse also reflects the heart-wrenching pain of Thuy Kieu and her relentless longing for Kim Trong. Kieu acknowledges herself as the betrayer, the one who shattered the love between Thuy Kieu and Kim Trong. Particularly, the calling of Kim Trong amidst Kieu's heart-wrenching pain, and the change in addressing him as 'Kim Lang' shows the choked-up, mournful sentiment of Thuy Kieu.

In conclusion, the excerpt 'Trao duyên' with its unique poetic form, language both solemn and simple, employing many familiar idioms, has authentically and vividly portrayed the pain and sorrow of Thuy Kieu when bestowing her fate upon Thuy Van. Furthermore, it reveals the tragic love story of Thuy Kieu, and above all, Nguyen Du feels deeply saddened by it.