The Richness and Beauty of Vietnamese Language - Đặng Thai Mai

Prompt: The Richness and Beauty of Vietnamese Language - Đặng Thai Mai

3 exemplary essays: The Richness and Beauty of Vietnamese Language - Đặng Thai Mai

1. Exploring the text 'The Richness and Beauty of Vietnamese Language' - Đặng Thai Mai, sample number 1:

I remember back when I was in fifth grade, my teacher told me: 'Our Vietnamese language is rich and beautiful, so we must cherish, appreciate, and preserve it' (the reason my teacher said this to me so wisely was because at that time, I had just secretly learned some French words from my older brother, and I had also learned a few Russian words from the daughter of our neighbor who had just returned from Russia. So in my writing assignments, I added both French and Russian words. At that time, I secretly thought, 'Wouldn't it be nice if my teacher could write like me, because he doesn't know any foreign languages. And what's so great about Vietnamese anyway!' But as I progressed to sixth grade, then seventh grade, and was exposed to the rich world of romantic poetry and literature, I truly understood the depth of my teacher's words. Looking back at my naive and foolish thoughts before, I am even more angry at myself.

How rich and beautiful our Vietnamese language is has been a topic of interest for many researchers. Former Prime Minister Phạm Văn Đồng wrote a piece on preserving the purity of the Vietnamese language, while literary critic Đặng Thai Mai wrote about Vietnamese language as an expression of national vitality...

Writers and poets need not debate, they simply quietly polish Vietnamese to make it increasingly 'refined' and 'luminous,' increasingly 'rich' and 'beautiful.'

Indeed, our Vietnamese language is very rich and beautiful.

Vietnamese is a language rich in imagery and symbolism. With a system of compound words, compound phrases, and vivid descriptive words, Vietnamese has the ability to evoke clear and vivid images in the minds of listeners.

Surely, we all remember two lines of verse with a vivid and impressive use of imagery and state by Bà Huyện Thanh Quan:

Gathering under the mountain, a few ducks play
Scattered by the river, a few houses form a market

Thanks to the quaint and scattered words, the expressive power of the verse has multiplied. The desolate, bleak scene of Đèo Ngang in the late afternoon becomes even more desolate and gloomy.

What's even more intriguing is that even the monosyllabic words in Vietnamese have evocative value. For example:

My body is both white and round
Seven float, three sink in the water

(Hồ Xuân Hương)

Analysis of the Richness and Beauty of Vietnamese Language 

Moreover, here's the image of the majestic, powerful tiger, exuding a magnificent beauty:

I step confidently on the royal path Glide my body like smoothly rolling waves Embrace the shadow quietly, amidst the sharp leaves and colorful grass

In the dark night, silence reigns supreme
Everything falls into a hushed stillness

(Thế Lữ)

In addition to its ability to create imagery, Vietnamese is also a language rich in sounds and melodies. With a diverse system of vowels, consonants, and intonation patterns, Vietnamese has the ability to produce various melodies: sometimes melodious and majestic, sometimes sharp and resonant, sometimes deep and profound...

Let's listen to the gentle and melodious melodies of folk verses:

The wind sways the bamboo branches gracefully
The Chấn Vũ bell, the rooster crow at Thọ Xương
The mist spreads amidst a thousand dewdrops
The rhythm of Yên Thái mill, the mirror of West Lake

Feel the melodic tones of the 'sweet accent marks' (Xuân Diệu) in the verse of Chinh phụ ngâm:

The water under the bridge is clear like a filter
Grass grows on the road beside the bridge, still young

And the melodies, vibrant and tender, passionate yet serene, flowing in the verse of Tố Hữu:

Oh our beloved homeland, incredibly beautiful Forests of palms, tea hills, lush green fields Blinding sun over the Lô River, echoes of cheerful songs The ferry drifting to Bình Ca port.

With just two abilities: creating imagery and music, Vietnamese is worthy of being a language both rich and beautiful. However, the richness and beauty of Vietnamese do not stop there. An undeniable characteristic of Vietnamese is its expressive nuances, its ability to convey emotions. It has the capability to delicately express various states of the rich inner life of the Vietnamese soul.

Taking just one example of expressing the nostalgic feelings of humans is enough to amaze us.

A state of melancholic nostalgia:

As I go, I remember my homeland
Remembering the spinach soup, remembering the fermented soybean sauce
Remembering someone wrestling with the wind and dew
Remembering someone slapping water along the way one day

(Trần Tuấn Khải)

A state of deep, intense nostalgia:
Remembering someone passionately bustling
Like standing in a fire, like sitting on a pile of straw

(Folk verse)

A profound, deep sorrow:
He journeys to a distant land of rain and wind
While she returns to her chamber, her bed, her blanket
Gazing after him, separated by distance
Tears turn the blue clouds over the green mountains.

(Chinh phụ ngâm)

Vietnamese vocabulary is also very rich and unique. Just considering the pronouns alone is enough to highlight this uniqueness. In Vietnamese pronouns, apart from the personal pronouns listed in dictionaries, Vietnamese people also use kinship terms as pronouns, enriching the language with more nuanced emotional expressions.

Even the usage of pronouns is distinct. Sometimes 'who' is accompanied by 'I', then 'ourselves'. These words can sometimes be the speaker, sometimes the recipient, sometimes both.

Just the word 'mình' in the following examples reveals many fascinating aspects:

I go, reflecting back on myself
The source of so much meaning, so much love

(Tố Hữu)

I tell myself to hold on to our dreams
I walk through the alley and see my child crawling
My child covered in dirt and ash
I go fetch water to wash my child

Exploring the Elegance of Vietnamese Text - Dang Thai Mai, Model 2

This essay is an excerpt from the beginning of a lengthy research paper entitled Vietnamese Language, a Monument to National Vitality (Dang Thai Mai), discussing the richness and elegance of the Vietnamese language. Although only a snippet, the structure of the essay is clear and coherent.

The author should start with a broad argument, followed by a concise explanation. The main part should focus on demonstrating two characteristics of Vietnamese: its beauty and excellence in various aspects such as phonetics, vocabulary, and syntax.

Over time, there have been many opinions and articles on the richness and beauty of the Vietnamese language and the responsibility to preserve its purity and richness. Some articles present general impressions, while others delve into very specific manifestations (regarding vocabulary or a literary genre...). In this article, Dang Thai Mai presents a comprehensive view rather than delving into specific, meticulous aspects of Vietnamese.

The Vietnamese language is a masterpiece woven through the tapestry of history. Its beauty lies not only in its melodious tones but also in its intricate grammar and rich vocabulary. Vietnamese is a language that effortlessly expresses the sentiments and thoughts of its speakers, catering to the cultural nuances of different historical epochs.

In the opening statement, the author asserts the immense value and significance of the Vietnamese language. Vietnamese people today have every reason to take pride in their language and have faith in its future. Thus, the author presents a sweeping argument: Vietnamese possesses the distinct qualities of a beautiful and eloquent language.

To elaborate on this assertion, the author writes:

This means that Vietnamese is a harmonious language in terms of phonetics and intonation, yet it is also refined and versatile in sentence structure. Moreover, Vietnamese has the capacity to convey emotions and thoughts effectively, meeting the demands of Vietnamese cultural life throughout various historical periods.

Exploring the text 'The Splendor of Vietnamese'

The beauty of Vietnamese is showcased through two elements: its rhythm (harmonious in sound and intonation) and its syntax (refined and flexible in sentence structure).

This observation is grounded in the rich expressive and emotional capabilities of Vietnamese: It has the capacity to articulate the thoughts and feelings of the Vietnamese people and meet the demands of the country's cultural life throughout various historical periods.

The sentences in the passage are closely linked in content. The first sentence provides a general comment on the nature of Vietnamese. The following two sentences succinctly and clearly explain the beauty and excellence of Vietnamese. The logical progression from general to specific makes it easy for readers to follow and understand.

In the second section, the author focuses on proving the assertion made in the introduction. To substantiate with convincing evidence, the author applies a combination of deep understanding of Vietnamese language along with logical and scientific reasoning.

Firstly, the author demonstrates that Vietnamese is a beautiful language, starting with its phonetics. Vietnamese is rich in musicality and highly fluid in sentence structure. This is confirmed by evidence gathered from daily life and scientific research: Many foreigners visiting our country and hearing the voices of our people have remarked that Vietnamese is a language rich in musicality. Although they do not understand our language, their comments are more than just polite compliments.

Foreign scholars familiar with Vietnamese note that... Vietnamese is a 'beautiful' language, very fluid in speech, highly flexible in sentence structure, and very eloquent in proverbs.

Vietnamese is rich in musicality due to several reasons:

Our Vietnamese language boasts a rather rich system of vowels and consonants. Furthermore, it is abundant in tonal variations. The Vietnamese voice, in addition to the two level tones (flat and high), also includes four contour tones. Therefore, Vietnamese can be classified among languages rich in tonal imagery, akin to musical notes in a solemn piece of music.

Let's read a folk verse:

Standing by the rice field, gazing at the bamboo forest, vast and boundless,
Standing by the bamboo forest, gazing at the rice field, also vast and boundless.

My body like a swaying rice stalk,
Fluttering beneath the morning sun's rosy glow.

This is the words of a young man, one early morning visiting the field, seeing the vast and boundless field and the youthful village girl. The young man praised the beauty of the field, the beauty of the girl, seeing it as a way to express his deep affection.

This poem contains unusual verses, stretching to 12 lines to describe the field. The metaphors, inversions, and symmetrical expressions (standing by the rice field - standing by the bamboo forest, vast and boundless - boundless and vast) give readers the feeling of seeing the field spreading to the horizon, vast, beautiful, and full of vitality from every angle.

The girl is compared to the familiar image of the homeland: My body like a swaying rice stalk, Fluttering beneath the morning sun's rosy glow. Between the person and the scenery, there is a similarity in youthfulness, exuberance of spring.

The folk verse has demonstrated the melodiousness and flexibility of the Vietnamese language. This evidence further strengthens the author's argument about the beauty of Vietnamese.

What makes a language excellent? Why is Vietnamese considered an excellent language? The author explains: Vietnamese is excellent because it satisfies the need for emotional and intellectual exchange between people. It meets the demands of an increasingly complex cultural life...

The following factual and scientific evidence forms the basis for the author's conclusion: Vietnamese is abundant in sentence structure and expression. Its vocabulary has been expanding over time... Vietnamese has constantly introduced new words, new expressions, or Vietnamese adaptations of words and expressions from fellow ethnic groups. We can illustrate this point with literary works we have studied. The following verse from 'Chinh phụ ngâm khúc' serves as an example:

Looking around, yet nothing is seen
Seeing the greenness of the thousand mulberry trees
A deep greenness all in one hue
Whose heart feels sorrow more deeply?

The various shades of green are described skillfully in the verse. Between two distant points now lies an endless green. In the verse above, the author borrowed familiar place names from classical literature such as Ham Duong, Tieu Tuong (even though they are just imaginations) to describe the distance, but in this last verse, the distance is so great that the shadow of the person has completely disappeared into the deep green mulberry trees. Ironically, the color green, which symbolizes life and hope, in this situation only evokes a space filled with a sense of separation.

Ancient Vietnamese possesses a rich ability in word formation and expression. Although both using the pronoun 'ta,' the expressive nuances differ in the poem 'Across Ngang Pass' by Lady Thanh Quan ('A solitary sentiment between me and myself') compared to the poem 'You Come to Visit My House' by Nguyen Khuyen ('You come to visit, me and myself').

In the poem 'Across Ngang Pass,' facing the vast expanse of sky, mountains, and rivers, the boundless nature of the land emphasizes the solitude and emptiness of human existence. Therefore, the sadness deepens in the heart of the poetess:

Stopping to stand under the sky, mountains, rivers,
A solitary sentiment between me and myself.

Truly, it is a profound and indescribable sadness, difficult to share or express. It seems to solidify into a form, a structure, a solitary sentiment that prompts the poet to exclaim in bitterness: me and myself. Only I understand my own heart! Therefore, the loneliness intensifies exponentially.

As for the concluding line of 'You Come to Visit My House' by Nguyen Khuyen:

You come to visit, me and myself

This is a beautiful closing line, encapsulating the essence of the poem. 'Me and myself' means one heart connecting with another; a kindred spirit visiting a cherished friend. Thus, all formalities become mundane and meaningless. Host and guest share a deep, noble sentiment, a priceless intangible bond. The phrase 'me and myself' evokes feelings of joy and intimacy. Friends separated by distance, now traversing long distances to visit each other, transcending the frailty of old age, is truly precious. Even more precious is the camaraderie between us, seeking joy in each other's company, upholding the virtues of goodwill. The closeness, the soulful connection, binds host and guest as one. Formalities and etiquette are cast aside, leaving only sincere joy enveloping everything. That friendship surpasses ordinary hospitality rituals. You come to visit not for lavish feasts, but to meet, to converse intimately, fulfilling the longing for each other.

The verse demonstrates Nguyen Khuyen's skillful use of language. Most notably, the phrase 'me and myself.' The pronoun 'me' in Vietnamese can refer to both singular and plural. Nguyen Khuyen employs both meanings: 'me and myself' may be two, but they are one. The word 'and' binds the two 'me' together. The friend and the poet sit together, whispering their thoughts, merging into one. Indeed, nothing can surpass the loyal friendship between them.

Throughout different historical periods, both vocabulary and grammatical structures of Vietnamese have greatly developed, demonstrating its adaptability to reality. This is a clear manifestation of the vibrant vitality of Vietnamese.

The author has proven that Vietnamese is a beautiful language, harmonious in its phonetics and intonation. Its excellence lies in its flexibility and fluency in word usage and sentence construction. Vietnamese has the full capacity to express emotions, thoughts of individuals, and meet the developmental requirements of cultural and social life.

The close relationship between the two qualities of beauty and excellence in Vietnamese is evident. The beauty of a language often reflects its excellence, as it demonstrates richness and sophistication in expression, as well as accuracy and depth in human emotions and thoughts.

Conversely, excellence also contributes to the beauty of a language. For example, in Vietnamese, the refinement and fluency in sentence structure and word usage not only represent excellence but also create beauty in expression.

Returning to Bà Huyện Thanh Quan's poem 'Across the Ngang Pass,' we see lines that demonstrate the richness and harmonious coordination of the tonal system in Vietnamese:

Stepping onto the Ngang Pass, shadows stretch;
Grasses mingle with rocks, leaves with flowers.

The beauty of nature is like a landscape painting. The poetic tones evoke the scenery of a wild mountainous region. The scene is beautiful but tinged with melancholy, desolation. The scattered wildflowers are insufficient to brighten the majestic mountains and hills when day fades, and night falls.

The prominent artistic features of the persuasive essay 'The Richness and Beauty of Vietnamese' lie in the author's adept combination of explanation with evidence, commentary. The logical reasoning is very tight: stating the thesis at the beginning, then explaining and commenting on it. Using evidence to support the argument increases the persuasiveness of the reasoning.

This persuasive essay demonstrates Đặng Thai Mai's profound understanding of the Vietnamese language. The author has ignited within us a sense of pride, love, and awareness to protect the richness and beauty of Vietnamese. Loving one's mother tongue is a tangible expression of patriotism. Reading and contemplating carefully about the essay, we increasingly believe in the bright future of Vietnamese.

3. Exploring the text 'The Richness and Beauty of Vietnamese, Model 3:'

The text 'The Richness and Beauty of Vietnamese' is a small excerpt from the article 'Vietnamese, an Expression of the Vitality of the Nation' written by Professor Đặng Thai Mai in 1967.

At the beginning, the author clearly expresses pride in Vietnamese and even more confidence in the future of Vietnamese of each Vietnamese person today.

In the next passage (3 sentences), the professor explains the unique qualities of Vietnamese, a beautiful and eloquent language. In terms of sound and melody, it is 'harmonious'; in sentence structure, it is 'very refined and flexible'. Vietnamese is also rich and abundant, with 'the full ability to express the emotions and thoughts of the Vietnamese people and to meet the demands of the country's cultural life through various historical periods'. This observation is profound.

The third passage consists of 22 sentences, with the author using 21 sentences to prove that Vietnamese is beautiful and eloquent, and one sentence for conclusion.

The professor points out that, structurally, Vietnamese has the qualities of a quite beautiful language. How beautiful? Many foreigners visiting our country, interacting with our people, have noted: 'Vietnamese is rich in musicality.' A Western priest (proficient in Vietnamese) praised Vietnamese as a 'beautiful' and 'very articulate language, very flexible in speech, very elegant in proverbs.' The author used quotations, a serious writing style 'saying with books, giving evidence' (see footnote 1 in Vietnamese Literature 7 textbook, p. 138).

Vietnamese is very beautiful, with 'a quite rich system of vowels and consonants', and is also 'rich in melody' (with 2 level tones and 4 contour tones). Therefore, Vietnamese is 'rich in tonal imagery like the musical notes in a solemn piece of music'.

Vietnamese is truly beautiful, 'balanced, rhythmic' in terms of grammar; it has an abundant vocabulary in all three aspects of poetry, music, and painting. And the professor further stated: 'The effect of this characteristic on literature is very important.'

Let us illustrate:

'Balanced, rhythmic' is the natural beauty of Vietnamese sentences:

'The South is the blood of Vietnam, the flesh of Vietnam. Rivers may dry up, mountains may erode, but that truth never changes.'

(Ho Chi Minh)

Guidance on Understanding The Rich Beauty of the Vietnamese Language

'My spring - the spring of North Vietnam, the spring of Hanoi - is a spring with drizzling rain, cool breeze, the sound of swallows echoing in the blue night, the echo of paddling drums from distant villages, the love song of a girl as beautiful as poetry, as dreamy as a dream.'

(Vu Bang)

Vietnamese is exceptionally captivating as it fulfills the societal need as a means, a tool for 'exchanging emotions, thoughts between people'. How is Vietnamese captivating?

In terms of vocabulary, Vietnamese is 'increasingly rich day by day'. In grammar, Vietnamese is 'gradually becoming more flexible, more precise' (luminous).

Vietnamese 'has continuously introduced new words, new expressions or Vietnamese-ized expressions of our fellow ethnic groups and neighboring ethnic groups to meet the increasingly complex cultural life demands in all aspects of economy, politics, science, technology, arts, etc.'

In the final sentence of the paragraph, the professor asserts that, Vietnamese, in terms of structure, in its ability to adapt to historical circumstances, has demonstrated 'its vitality'. That concludes the paragraph.

Furthermore, Reflections on Reading the Poem 'Mountains and Rivers of the Southern Domain' is an important lesson in the Grade 7 Literature curriculum that students need to pay special attention to.