Tản Đà's Eccentricity in 'Aspiring to be Cuoi'

Prompt: Explore Tản Đà's Eccentricity in the poem 'Aspiring to be Cuoi.'

Tản Đà's Eccentricity in 'Aspiring to be Cuoi'

Sample Essay: Tản Đà's Eccentricity in the Poem 'Aspiring to be Cuoi'

Tản Đà, born Nguyen Khac Hieu, hailed from a family with a literary tradition, fostering a talented Tản Đà with a distinctive literary style—one of romanticism and flamboyance befitting a truly gifted artist. His eccentricity is vividly portrayed in the poem 'Aspiring to be Cuoi.'

The poem 'Aspiring to be Cuoi,' written in 1916 and featured in the poetry collection 'Khối tình,' follows the traditional seven-word eight-line verse form but introduces innovative elements, showcasing the author's stylistic uniqueness.

From the very first sentence, the author candidly shares their inner sorrow, expressing it to no one but themselves and the vast sky above.

'Oh, Hang, such a melancholic autumn night!
Embracing the mundane, I'm weary halfway through.'

Autumn, the season of the brightest moonlight, typically illuminates the surroundings in beauty. However, as the poet admires this spectacle, a profound sadness and burdened thoughts envelop the experience. The words 'sad' and 'weary' in the two verses convey the author's loneliness and discontent with a stifling and stagnant earthly existence. The poet aspires to escape reality, to become a carefree, thoughtless Cuoi. In a society decayed and oppressed under French colonial rule, the enlightenment of revolution had yet to reach intellectuals like Tản Đà. During this period, poets and writers struggled to find their own direction, often carrying a sense of ennui and wandering in the mundane world. Tản Đà desires liberation from this stagnant life, yearning to ascend to the moon's palace, seeking companionship with Sister Hang, showcasing his audacious, strong-willed, and bold personality. The poet wishes to break free from this stagnation and move towards a new world—a world of fairies, devoid of the injustices and decay of contemporary society.

The subsequent two verses further exemplify the audacity of the author.

'Has anyone sat beneath the laurel throne?
Branches of banyan, please remind her to join in the play'

Being a life enthusiast, enamored with existence, the author yearns to break free from the current life. The question, 'Has anyone sat beneath the laurel throne?' expresses this desire, inquiring whether Sister Hang feels sadness or loneliness living alone on the moon. Alternatively, the verse 'Branches of banyan, please remind her to join in the play' conveys an ultimate aspiration—to escape the current life, to break free from the decaying, restrictive society.

The subsequent two verses express the longing to ascend to the moon and be companions with Sister Hang.

'With a moon, a companion, sharing sisterly bonds
With wind and clouds, that's when true joy arises'

The desire expressed through 'have' and 'together' reflects the yearning for companionship, shared living, discussing poetry, and exploring like close friends. However, in the earthly realm, Tản Đà cannot find such a companion. The tears shed by earthly reality represent agony and injustice, contradicting moral norms. Tản Đà wishes to ascend to the moon, savoring the atmosphere of freedom, exploring everywhere with wind and clouds, escaping the earthly prison. The somewhat audacious and irrational desire evokes empathy from readers for his sorrows and heavy contemplations about earthly life.

Tản Đà's audacity isn't arrogance or irrationality but a profound human desire. In the last two verses, the author yearns to spend a lifetime on the moon, living a fairy-tale existence.

'Then, every mid-August full moon,
Side by side, we gaze down at the world and laugh.'

The author envisions a scenario where he and Sister Hang are comrades, observing the world together. At this point, the audacity reaches its peak as the author no longer refers to Sister Hang as a sister but considers her a close friend. 'Looking down' here refers to the moon, where Tản Đà and Sister Hang forge friendship, letting go of entanglements and worries in the earthly realm. The 'laughter' signifies the author's satisfaction, a hearty and contented laughter. It's a laughter with multiple tones, expressing both fulfillment and disdain for the dark, oppressive reality of the earthly world—devoid of the brilliance of truth and love, a place subjected to the tyranny of a regime that is part feudal, part harsh colonial rule.

Exploring the essence of being Cuoi through poetry is a remarkable showcase of Tản Đà's talent and audacity. Let's delve into the poet's audacious charm, not only in the poem 'Desiring to be Cuoi' but also in other literary works such as: Interpreting the poem 'Desiring to be Cuoi', Analyzing the nuances of 'Desiring to be Cuoi' by Tản Đà, Exploring the audacity, melancholy, and dreams in 'Desiring to be Cuoi' by Tản Đà, My reflections on Tản Đà's emotions in the poem: 'Desiring to be Cuoi,' My thoughts on Tản Đà's confessions and audacity in the poem 'Desiring to be Cuoi.' by Tản Đà.