Tay Tien

The poem Tay Tien - Quang Dung

I. Fundamental Understanding of the Author and the Work Tay Tien

1. Some Key Points about the Individual and Poetry Style of Quang Dung

a) The Individual

- Quang Dung, along with other authors like Hoang Cam, Huu Loan, Hoang Trung Thong..., is considered as battlefield poets who matured in the early years of the resistance against the French colonialists.

- Quang Dung himself is not only a poet but also a soldier. He originates from the intellectual youth of Hanoi, like many of his peers at that time who responded to the sacred call of the homeland. He and his friends temporarily set aside their pens to volunteer and join the battlefield to fight the enemy and defend the country.

- He is a talented artist, with a deep understanding in various artistic fields: Journalism, literature, music, painting, etc.

- Love for the homeland and the country is always an endless source of inspiration in the works of Quang Dung.

b) Poetry Style

In Quang Dũng's poetry, there's a fusion of romanticism and liberality portraying a dashing young man from Hanoi, exuding the vibrancy and passion of youth, juxtaposed with the stark realism seen through the eyes of a soldier directly engaged in combat against the enemy during those tumultuous wartime years.

2. General Understanding of the Poem

Context of Composition: During the period of 1947 - 1948, the Tây Tiến troops were ordered to march and fight in the Northwest region (Lai Châu, Sơn La, Điện Biên...), cooperating with the main forces of Laos to combat the French. The soldiers in this unit were primarily students from the capital city who volunteered to join the fight, despite enduring numerous hardships, shortages, and difficulties of war, plagued by diseases and hunger. Yet, they remained optimistic, embracing life and believing in a brighter future ahead. Quang Dũng, the poet, was also among these soldiers. In 1948, when he was ordered to transfer to another unit, the emotions of longing for his old unit prompted him to write this poem.

Title of the Work: Initially titled 'Remembering Tây Tiến', it was later changed to 'Tây Tiến'.

+ This is the name of a military unit established in 1947 with the mission to coordinate with the Laotian army to defend the Vietnam-Laos border.

+ It serves as a special source of inspiration, emblematic of Quang Dũng's romantic soul; the Tây Tiến troops are the central figure in the work, a relentless longing and indelible memory in the poet's heart.

- Structure: There are two ways to divide the structure of the poem

+ Method 1: Dividing the poem into 4 parts

· Part 1: From the beginning to 'Mai Châu fragrant with sticky rice': The marching troops amidst the majestic scenery of mountains and forests, poetic yet fraught with difficulties and dangers.

· Part 2: Continuing to 'Flowing floodwaters sway flowers': The author's reminiscences of vibrant nights filled with the affection of the people and soldiers.

· Part 3: Continuing to 'Sông Mã roars a solitary melody': Depicting the Tây Tiến soldiers with their heroic, romantic, and epic qualities.

· Part 4: The rest: The poet's relentless longing.

+ Method 2: Dividing the poem into 3 parts

· Part 1: The opening verses: The rugged yet picturesque landscapes of Northwest mountains, exuding both grandeur and romanticism, portrayed vividly by Quang Dũng.

· Part 2: Continuing to 'solitary melody': The intimate bond of the people and soldiers, alongside the graceful and romantic image of the soldiers in the splendid marching troops.

· Part 3: The rest: The author's promises and longing.

II. Key Points for Analyzing the Poem

1. Regarding the Content

When analyzing the content of the work, in addition to examining the author's longing, you should highlight two distinct portraits:

a) The Northwest Natural Landscape

- The rugged, treacherous, majestic beauty

- The romantic, poetic, deeply sentimental beauty

b) Portrait of the Tây Tiến Soldier

- The soldier exuding heroic beauty

- The soldier with a gallant, romantic beauty

- The soldier with an epic beauty.

2. Regarding Artistry

- Emphasize analyzing the unique aspects of using romantic writing techniques combined with reality.

- Poetic imagery, richly vivid verses.

- A highly expressive vocabulary system.

- Utilization of flexible and diverse tones.

III. Intriguing Aspects of the Work

1. Title Changed After Much Contemplation

Initially titled 'Remembering Tây Tiến', but after much deliberation and reflection, Quang Dũng decided to remove the word 'remembering'. According to him, the memory of the unit is always present in the mind, just mentioning it evokes the memory, so there's no need to add 'remembering'.

2. The Poem Was Once Banned

Alongside several other works produced during this period, Quang Dũng's Tây Tiến poem was also banned due to the line 'In Hanoi dreams, Kiều's fragrant figure' - deemed to have 'petty-bourgeois sentimentalism'. It wasn't until later during the 'liberation of literature' movement that the poem became a 'bedside companion' for many generations of Vietnamese youth.

3. The Sole Work of a Northern Soldier known by pseudo Southern soldiers, documented in notebooks and printed in various editions by printers during the time of the Republic of Vietnam.

IV. Exemplary Essays on the Tây Tiến Poem

Comprising articles on composing, appreciating, and analyzing the Tây Tiến poem. Analyzing verses, stanzas about the Tây Tiến poem by author Quang Dũng.

- Composing Tây Tiến Poem
- Appreciating the opening verses of the Tây Tiến Poem
- Analyzing the Tây Tiến Poem
- Outlining the analysis of the Tây Tiến Poem
- Analyzing stanza 1 of the Tây Tiến Poem
- Analyzing stanza 3 of the Tây Tiến Poem
- Appreciating Quang Dũng's Tây Tiến Poem
- Analyzing the epic nature of the Tây Tiến Poem
- Analyzing the romantic writing style and inspiration in the Tây Tiến Poem
- Analyzing the romantic inspiration in the Tây Tiến Poem
- Comparing Comrade and Tây Tiến
- Appreciating two excerpts from the poems Việt Bắc and Tây Tiến

V. Mind Map for Studying Tây Tiến Poem