Prompt: Analysis of the Comrade poem by Chính Hữu

Four exemplary essays analyzing the Comrade poem by Chính Hữu.

1. Introduction:

- Introducing the author Chính Hữu

- Introduction to the Comrade poem

2. Body of the poem:

a. Content:

* First 7 lines: Establishing the camaraderie:

- Shared experiences and origins:

+ “Your homeland” - “salty land, sour water”: where the soil is saline, farmers struggle to cultivate. 

+ “My village” - “poverty” - “land cultivated from rocks”: where the scorching sun and arid conditions make farming difficult. 

-> Both are farmers who have risen from impoverished rural areas -> sharing a common background. 

- Shared ideals and lofty goals are the essence of fighting to defend the homeland. “Guns by guns, heads side by side” - the image of paired waves embodies the simultaneous combat mission and noble ideals of soldiers -> From strangers, they become comrades. 

- After enduring hardships, “sharing cold nights under the same blanket”: from comrades -> close friends -> comrades. 

- Comrade is the term used among those with shared ideals, who journey together through hardships, filled with emotions, respect, and the spirit of the revolutionary era. 

=> The two words “comrades” crystallize the beautiful essence of revolutionary sentiments, the spirit of comradeship. 

* Following 10 lines: Expressions of comradeship:

- They all understand, empathize with each other's sorrows:

+ They leave behind the most familiar and ordinary things: “rice fields”, “homes”, “wells”, “banyan trees” -> to protect their homeland, their country, for the things they hold dear. 

+ Yet, they always remember and long for their homeland. 

=> Soldiers share their longing for their homeland, and it is this longing for their homeland, their country, that has empowered them to continue fighting.

- They endure hardships together, bonded by solidarity:

+ Enduring terrifying jungle fevers: “chills”, “shivering with fever”, “forehead drenched in sweat”.

+ Facing the shortages of war: torn clothes, patched trousers, barefoot, hunger, lack of medicine. 

- Their bond is expressed:

+ Through direct words: “love each other”

+ Through direct actions: “hand in hand” -> A sincere handclasp to convey warmth, hope, and determination -> The most direct expression of comradeship. 

* Last 3 lines: A beautiful depiction of comradeship:

- Time: “night”

- Location: “wilderness”

- Weather: “salt mist”

=> A particularly harsh and challenging combat environment. 

- Posture: “standing side by side”

- Objective: “waiting for the enemy”

=> Active posture, ready to welcome the enemy.

- Image: “moonlit gun barrels”

+ “gun”: symbolizing war, soldiers, reality

+ “moon”: symbolizing peace, poets, romance

=> Soldiers wield guns for a future of peace and independence, just as poet soldiers depict reality with a touch of romance and poetry. 

b. Art:

- Free verse poetry with flexible long lines helps the author express their emotions more clearly.

- The language of poetry is concise, evocative, rich in expression.

- Poetic images complement each other, coexist.

3. Conclusion:

- Reevaluate the content and artistry of the poem Comrade

- Affirm the talent of the author Chinh Huu

1. Analysis of the Poem Comrade by Chinh Huu, model number 1:

Has the essence of a soldier gradually infused into the essence of poetry, creating a wonderful flavor for the comradeship. Talking about poetry is primarily talking about emotions and sincerity. Without emotions, poetry cannot stir the soul, without sincerity, the essence of poetry fades into oblivion. A bit of sincerity, a bit of romance, a bit of resonance that Chinh Huu has sown into people's hearts unforgettable emotions. The poem Comrade with its serene rhythm feels warm and cheerful; with its simple language seems to have become the verses of faith, hope, and deep empathy of a revolutionary poet.

Has the essence of a soldier gradually merged into the essence of poetry, the simplicity gradually blended into the poetic flavor creating gentle and emotional verses?

During the harsh years of the resistance against French colonialism, naturally, the image of soldiers, the soldiers, will become the soul of the resistance, the love and hope of the whole nation. At the beginning of the poem Comrade, Chinh Huu has recognized, has delved into the very origins of the soldiers:

My homeland, your land is salty and sour
My village, impoverished, turned rocks into fields

Born in a country with a long-standing agricultural tradition, they were originally farmers wearing military uniforms following in the heroic footsteps of the Can Gio warriors of the past. The country was invaded by enemies, the Fatherland and the people were under oppressive pressure. He and I, two newly acquainted friends, both come from poor rural areas. Two lines of poetry seem to face each other, yet accompany each other, expressing the feelings of soldiers. From those poor rural areas, they bid farewell to their loved ones, farewell to their villages, farewell to the sugarcane fields, strawberry fields, lush green grass, they go to fight to find, to reclaim the soul for the Fatherland. Those difficulties seem unable to make the soldiers falter:

He and I, two strangers
From distant places without prior acquaintance
Guns next to guns, heads close together
Cold nights shared, forming intimate bonds

The best Analysis of the poem Comrade by Chinh Huu

They join the revolution because of the ideal of dedicating themselves to life. The revolution is not just for themselves. Sharing the same aspiration, the same ideal, the same belief, and when they fight, they stand shoulder to shoulder with the same determination... It seems that comradeship also stems from those small commonalities. The poetry becomes faster, the rhythm more intense, the lines of poetry also become more intimate:

Guns side by side, heads close
Cold nights shared, bonds formed

A series of carefully crafted words with artful messaging, the poet not only elevates the poem to the pinnacle of emotion but also the sudden pauses, the slightly solemn tone, and the eerie resonance make comradeship more beautiful, more noble. Just two words in a line, but the strange tone creates a warm, affectionate note in the reader's heart. Among the myriad notes of human emotions, perhaps comradeship is the most beautiful, the most ideal, the rhythm of the poem seems lighter, the poetry breathes more gently. It's as if Chinh Huu has infused the soul of comradeship into the poem, bonding it inseparably, and an eternal resonance makes the poem forever the most beautiful part of Chinh Huu's poetry. The memories of the soldiers, the private memories, are truly boundless:

Fields you plow, sent to a comrade
Houses stand firm against the winds

The genuine simplicity of the new soldiers, how admirable! For farmers, fields, houses are the most precious things. They live off the fields, they grow up with the mother's lullabies. They grow up in houses that stand firm against the wind. Nevertheless, they still love, deeply cherish those familiar pieces of land, those familiar roofs... But... they have crossed the horizon of their small selves to reach the horizon of all. Following that path is following the aspiration, following the call of love from the patriotic heart. Leaving behind all the shadows of the homeland still remains an endless longing for every soldier. Despite disregarding, in their hearts, the position of the homeland still envelops as if wanting to embrace all memories. Without enumeration, nor the often-seen inversion in literature, but two lines of poetry are enough to stir the soul of poetry, the soul of humanity:

The ancient well remembers those who went off to war

The longing and waiting of the homeland for the departing young men infuse the soul of the land with even greater vitality. The poet personifies the ancient well, also filled with endless longing for the soldiers. But beyond inanimate objects, the author employs metaphor to express the yearning of those at home, the longing of mothers for their sons, wives for their husbands, and lovers separated... Leaving behind longing, affection, far from their homeland, the soldiers fight through hardships:

You and I knew each shiver
Fever, forehead beading with sweat
Your coat torn at the shoulder
My pants patched here and there
Smiles frozen, cold bites
Feet bare of shoes

The verse resonates slowly but intermittently, perhaps the hardships and privations of the soldiers make Chinh Huu's poetry even more profound. Our country is still poor, our soldiers still lack equipment, facing the terrifying chill of the night... With only patched trousers, torn coats, the soldiers stand firm in resistance, though their smiles are frozen, silent. Comradeship truly shines brighter in adversity, it's intimate yet authentic, not deceitful, lofty... That sentiment spreads in the hearts of all the soldiers. Comradeship:

Sharing a drink, breaking bread together,
Sharing a sunny noon, a rainy afternoon,
Sharing tidbits of news from home,
Sharing the cramped battlefield together,
Sharing life, sharing death

(Remembering - Hong Nguyen)

An optimistic smile, unwavering belief, genuine camaraderie, all encapsulated by Chinh Huu into just a smile - the symbol of a soldier in battle, in peace, and in nation-building, a proud, affectionate smile, an optimistic smile of victory...

Tonight, the deserted forest, salty mist,
Standing side by side, waiting for the enemy to come

The rhythmic poetry 2/2/2 - 2/2/3 encapsulates all the beauty of the soldiers. It's the radiant beauty amidst their hardships. Rising above all, camaraderie, comradeship seems to be warmed by the passionate hearts of the soldiers, still standing guard for the Vietnamese sky even in the darkest night, when the mist falls, and the night fades into oblivion. The image of the soldier suddenly becomes more beautiful, more romantic. Standing side by side, ready to fight. Looking at the authenticity of the entire poem, the last verse still becomes very poetic:

The moonlight hanging on the barrel of the gun
The moonlight seems almost inseparable from the soldier:
War in the Trang forest becomes a lifelong bond

(Moonlight - Nguyen Duy)

A poetic, romantic image, yet deeply realistic and sincere. A harmonious blend of space, time, moonlight, and soldiers. Reality intertwining with dreams, the courage to fight blending with love, making the soldier's symbol not only authentic but also strangely radiant. The military essence merges with poetic essence, revolutionary essence, steel essence merges with poetic essence. The tremor and excitement of the entire poem may be due to this moonlight image. Comradeship is the same, spreading in space, soothing the longing, alleviating the coldness of the night. The soldier's smile is like a high-pitched song praising comradeship. Sacred and selfless, the image of the soldiers, the Hồ Chí Minh Youth Volunteers side by side, shoulder to shoulder, fighting together for independence.

The prodigious penmanship of Chinh Huu, coupled with free verse poetry, whispers of the heart, and simple language, naturally guides readers to the foundation of camaraderie:

'My homeland, a land of salty waters and sour fields,
My village, poor with soil tilled upon rocks and stones.'

The first two lines, accompanied by a folk saying 'salty waters and sour fields', creatively derived from the proverb 'tilled soil turns to rocks and stones', the tender poetic voice evokes the imagery of two soldiers sharing tales of their homelands. These are lands of hardship, floods, and droughts: one from the coastal regions 'salty waters and sour fields', the other from the central highlands 'soil tilled upon rocks and stones'. Could it be that their shared origins lay the groundwork for camaraderie?

'You and I, once strangers,
From different corners of the sky, unacquainted.
Rifles beside rifles, heads close in camaraderie,
Cold nights shared under the same blanket of brotherhood.
Comrade!'

The next ten verses continue to echo the essence and power of comradeship through simple and heartfelt language, allowing readers to witness the expression and strength of camaraderie.

Amidst the hardships of the battlefield, comradeship has enabled these soldiers to empathize and understand each other's emotions. Seated closely together, they share nostalgic stories of their homeland, filled with longing and affection:

'Fields await, entrusted to dear friends' plows
Homesteads stand firm, unmoved by the swaying winds
A well under the banyan tree, longing for those who've left for duty'

Three verses, whispered with heartfelt sincerity and adorned with familiar rustic imagery, depict soldiers who were once humble farmers, familiar with toiling the soil. Yet when the nation calls, they willingly forsake the familiar to fulfill their duty: fields entrusted to dear friends, leaving behind empty homes in need of repair. Though seemingly indifferent and apathetic, these lines of poetry by Chinh Huu convey the determination of soldiers departing. They leave behind the love for their homeland in their hearts, elevating it to the love for the Motherland. It is the shared determination of the entire nation, of the era. Despite their resolve to depart, deep within their souls, the image of their homeland remains vivid, engraving a profound longing: 'a well under the banyan tree, longing for those who've left for duty.' Through metaphor and personification, Chinh Huu evokes a mutual longing: the homeland - where parents and villagers always remember and await their return, and the soldiers - who always turn towards their homeland with deep and profound affection. Perhaps it is this longing that gives them the strength to fight for the nation's independence.

Not only understanding and empathizing, but they also share the hardships, struggles, and joys on the battlefield:

'You and I know each shiver of cold
The chill runs down our spine, foreheads wet with sweat
Your coat torn at the shoulder
My trousers patched up
Smiles freezing on lips
Feet bare
We hold each other's hands with love'

With a style of realism, the imagery of parallel pairs like 'you - me', 'your coat - my trousers' creates the bond of comrades who always stand shoulder to shoulder, sharing hardships and sorrows together. In scarcity, they've shared illnesses and diseases, endured terrifying bouts of jungle fever, and faced material shortages, yet with optimistic smiles freezing on their lips, and with love binding them together, they hold each other's hands tightly. The imagery of 'smiles freezing on lips' evokes optimistic smiles breaking through the harsh cold of the battlefield. They hold hands to share warmth, to encourage each other through difficulties and hardships. Rarely have we seen such warm handshakes!

Through simple and rustic strokes, Chinh Huu has painted a beautiful picture amidst a harsh scenario: the image of soldiers standing guard in the mountains along the border in the dead of night:

'Tonight, the wilderness veiled in salty mist
Standing beside each other, awaiting the enemy's arrival
Moonlight hanging on the gun.'

Tonight, like countless nights before, the guerrillas await the enemy, preparing for the final victorious battle in the 1947 Winter-Spring campaign in Viet Bac, a night etched into history that soldiers can never forget. The guerrillas actively await the enemy in harsh conditions: 'the wilderness veiled in salty mist'

'Standing beside each other, awaiting the enemy's arrival.' Waiting for the enemy is waiting for that tense moment when the boundary between life and death is incredibly fragile. The word 'awaiting' demonstrates the proactive stance of the soldiers in the guerrilla night, as well as the proactive stance of our entire people after the 1947 Winter-Spring campaign in Viet Bac.

Closing the poem is a splendid and delightful image, a discovery by the soldiers in their own guerrilla night: 'moonlight hanging on the gun.' The verse evokes reality: late at night, soldiers stand guard in a proactive stance, their guns aimed at the sky, the moon rising high, its light upon the gun making the soldiers feel as if the moon is hanging over their own guns. The gun symbolizes the arduous, sacrificial struggle the soldiers are going through, while the moon symbolizes the peaceful life in the future that the soldiers are striving for. The gun symbolizes the soldier, the moon symbolizes the poet. The gun - moon, near and far, reality and dream, the essence of combat and the essence of romance, the essence of the soldier and the essence of the poet, reality and romance coexist, complementing the beauty of the soldiers' lives. The moonlight seems to flood the entire guerrilla area, the sky, and shines even in the misty haze. The souls of the soldiers, like that moonlight, are warm, sparkling with optimistic light, always looking towards a brighter tomorrow.

Thus, 'Comrade' resembles a gentle melody about comradeship. Chinh Huu has brought a fresh melody to revolutionary poetry, a beautiful picture of soldiers fighting against the French. The poet cleverly employs simple, natural language, folk proverbs, and idioms to make the poetry flavorful, rustic, and straight to the reader's heart. Alongside symbolic imagery, the realistic and romantic prose of his pen further embellishes the shining beauty of comradeship.

Literature and art require individuals who can perceive reality with their hearts. Chinh Huu has naturally brought reality into his writing, while also infusing it with the purest gemstone, the bond of deep comradeship. As time passes, the work becomes an unforgettable anthem in the hearts of readers.

3. Analysis of the poem 'Comrade' by Chinh Huu, sample number 3:

He still marches
On the way to the campaign

(Trần Hữu Thung)

For a long time, the image of the soldier has nestled in the hearts of the people and literature with its postures, emotions, and beautiful qualities. The term 'Uncle Ho's soldiers' has become the dearest name of the people for the soldiers. Many authors have written about the military theme, but succeeding is not easy for anyone. However, the poet - Soldier Chinh Huu, with the emotions of someone in the midst of it all, has succeeded remarkably with the poem Comrade. The work movingly portrays the sacred comradeship and deserves to be a beautiful romantic poem in Vietnamese literature.

You and I, two strangers
From different corners of the sky, we meet without prior arrangement ...

Throughout the poem, readers perceive a simple, sincere poetic voice, akin to the whispered confessions about life, about the soldiers who, in their brown fabric uniforms, have wholeheartedly risen to fight for freedom for their homeland. They are ordinary, down-to-earth people, sharing the same poverty, yet not hesitating to endure hardships for their ideals and to meet each other. In their minds, there are commonalities and individual differences. Their individual differences lie in being strangers, from different homelands, with different temperaments. Yet they share a common longing: a longing for their homeland, for their aging mothers, young wives and children, a sense of unfinished business, empty homes needing repair to withstand the seasonal winds, fields and villages, beloved neighborhoods. From these commonalities, from the difficult years, they have come closer together and become comrades. 'Comrade,' although Chinh Huu has never explained, through the simple verses, the intimate poetic tone, readers have understood clearly the true value of it.

Like the poetic tone, the language in the poem is the language of rustic life, simple and rural.

Comrade is a touching poem about comradeship.

'You and I, two strangers', the author does not use the word 'two' but instead says 'two'. Usually, the word 'pair' is associated with nouns like 'chopsticks', 'birds'. Being a 'pair' means always being closely connected, sticking together, fervently. Chinh Huu uses this word to affirm the bond between the two people, while making the poem simpler and closer to daily life. However, daily life is not ordinary, crude, as the author cleverly transforms the language of life into the language of literature.

In the poem, the author uses the phrase 'you and I' twice. 'You and I' are used to reflect on each other, to recognize each other in order to understand oneself. There are also times when 'you' and 'I' are separated. In those moments, 'you' and 'I' are still similar, still easily merged into one:

My shirt torn at the shoulder
My pants patched up with two pieces ...

That's right, within 'you' there's also 'me'. You and I are alike, both soldiers enduring rain and shine, scratches thick with mud, faces tinted with smoke and battle-worn hues, what's the difference! Perhaps the artistic touch of Chinh Huu lies here.

The structure is also a subtle art of Comrade. The poem doesn't adhere to the rules of prosody but rather, freely and openly expresses the author's emotions:

Guns by guns, heads close to heads
Through cold nights together, as inseparable comrades.
Comrade!

Suddenly between two poems, the phrase 'comrades' stands independently forming a line like a sincere, heartfelt statement affirming the true value of comradeship. The four lines shift suddenly but not disjointedly, concise yet not dry, instead they permeate with affection, sincerity, and warmth, as if reminding, advising, as if affirming that: 'Comradeship is only gained through hardship and adversity.' Just like these soldierly figures, like 'you' and 'me', these soldiers have tasted hunger, cold, faced the smoke and flames of battle, accepted sacrifice, knew every 'chill, shiver, sweat-soaked forehead' of the fierce malaria that defeated even the strongest.

The poem begins with the image 'You and I, two strangers' but ends with: 'Lovingly holding hands.' It's truly an emotionally rich image. Amidst two combat soldiers there's nothing, just two white hands clasping each other as encouragement, consolation, adding strength, willpower to each other. It's also a beautiful symbol of true comradeship, of the power of unity. Those two hands separated are lonely, weak, but clasped together there's no opposing force. The warmth from those two hands spreads, like warmth transmitted throughout the poem. Stopping the poem here would suffice but no, Chinh Huu doesn't stop there but goes further than a short verse but containing rich emotions:

Tonight in the cold, desolate forest
Standing side by side waiting for the enemy
Moonlight hanging over the gun barrels ...

With just three short lines, the entire poem can be summarized, affirming most clearly the value of the poem. Amidst the cold forest night, there are two rifles, two people leaning against each other waiting for the enemy. Moonlight shines brightly over the mountains and gradually slants, slants like hanging suspended over the rifle barrels of the soldiers. The image is both romantic and realistic. It's rich in poetic essence and clearly expresses the life, character, and soul of the soldiers. Reading those lines, one is reminded of the verse:

I'm still marching on ...
The distant path I tread
The young moon peeking over the mountain peak

Both images are poignant and full of the soldiers' sentiment, imbued with poetic essence.

Comrade is a great poem because with a concise, selective artistic language, with sensuous poetic details, the author has depicted the faces of the defenders of the nation in the past, and more importantly, the spiritual faces, the comradeship sentiment that is fresh, sacred is the strength for those ragged soldiers, barefoot, to triumph over the French invaders.

4. Analyzing the poem Comrade by Chinh Huu, sample number 4:

Comrade is a representative poem depicting soldiers in the early stage of the resistance against the French. The comradeship in the poem is very genuine, simple. The poem not only demonstrates the foundation of comradeship but also portrays it amidst the hardships, shortages on the battlefield, in the difficult struggle.

The basis of comradeship stems from individuals with the same aspirations, all holding weapons to defend the country's independence. Moreover, the comradeship of these soldiers originates from individuals of the same class:

Your homeland with salty water and sour fields
My village impoverished, fields cultivated on rocks.

Though each from different places, some from coastal regions, others from barren lands, they stand shoulder to shoulder, united in the revolutionary ranks. Their comradeship is also rooted in bonded friendships, sharing together. Just a simple act of sharing a cold night together is enough to become lifelong comrades. The comradeship of these revolutionary soldiers is a strong bond forged by the foundation of friendship among those with the same aspirations, circumstances, social class, and ranks.

The comradeship of revolutionary soldiers is depicted amidst the hardships and shortages on the battlefield. They endure harsh jungle fevers, shivering from the cold, yet their foreheads sweat. They share homesickness, longing for their homeland. Each soldier on the battlefield has a focal point, a place to turn to, that is the longing for home, for their mother, their wife back in the hometown. The image of the old well is intimate, familiar, representing the homeland, the place of longing for those from the countryside. Soldiers understand each other's circumstances and share their homesickness. They also share patched shirts, torn pants. The hardships on the battlefield, like the lack of clothing, shoes, do not diminish the soldiers' fighting spirit. They accept hardships cheerfully, and the image of barefoot soldiers evokes the image of honest farmers rather than emphasizing the battlefield's scarcity. The comradeship of soldiers is simply the gesture of holding hands, yet that small act alone is more valuable than any words. The tight grip is sharing, erasing all hardships and conveying profound meanings. That handshake can also be compared to the handshake through the broken window of the soldiers driving in Pham Tien Duat's poetry, conveying additional determination.

Analysis of the poem Comrade by Chinh Huu short

The comradeship, camaraderie of soldiers is not only demonstrated amidst the difficulties, shortages on the battlefield but also in the arduous struggle of life:

Tonight the jungle is misty with salt
Standing beside each other, waiting for the enemy to come
The gun's head under the hanging moon.

The final stanzas of the poem not only depict the comradeship of soldiers in battle but also evoke a striking image of noble, romantic soldiers. In the freezing, misty night, soldiers stand guard in the desolate forest. Despite such harsh weather and circumstances, they remain ready to fight, ready to face the enemy. Amidst the hardships of the resistance, these soldiers stand shoulder to shoulder, prepared to fight, undeterred by the difficulties. The imagery of the soldiers is vivid and beautiful. The image of the moonlit gun barrel is both a realistic portrayal and a deeply symbolic one. As night falls and the moon hangs low, soldiers with rifles slung over their shoulders create the illusion of the moon hanging from the barrel. However, the gun also symbolizes the force defending peace, while the moon represents peace itself. The image of the moonlit gun barrel is a beautiful and romantic portrayal, reflecting the image of the revolutionary soldier and, thereby, the camaraderie of revolutionary soldiers in the midst of arduous battles.

In a simple yet authentic poetic language, Chinh Huu vividly expresses the genuine and vibrant camaraderie and solidarity of revolutionary soldiers through very ordinary situations. The camaraderie of these soldiers is deeply profound and sacred, constituting the beauty and spiritual strength of revolutionary soldiers.

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