1. Reference Essay 1
Nguyên Hồng, a renowned figure in Vietnamese literature, is not only a prolific writer of prose but also a poet. One of his notable works is the poem 'Cửu Long giang ta ơi'.
Right from the title, 'Cửu Long Giang ta ơi' creates a powerful impression, resembling a heartfelt call arising from love and pride for the river of the homeland.
The Cửu Long River comes to the ten-year-old student through the teacher's lecture. From a magical map, the boy encounters the vast river:
“In the past, we went to school
Ten-year-old listening to the autumn wind
Eyes looking up at the map shining brightly
Like a field of flowers suddenly encountered in a dream.
The new map is freshly painted
Why is the teacher so big, and the chalkboard so big?
A magical stick and the arm of a wizard
Take us through the magnificent river and mountains.”
The poet vividly portrays the river with the majestic beauty of “fallen leaves from tall trees,” “dried pineapple,”:
“Mekong flows
The tree falls and rocks collapse
Contemplating elephants walking
Khon Falls laughs white and clear
Wild orchids and sweet dew pineapple resin up the fragrance
These midsummer days under the Truong Son sun…”
Not only that, but the Cửu Long River is also calm and extremely poetic, romantic:
“I go… the map doesn't look anymore…
Autumn sky keeps butterflies with the blue sky
Fresh apricots, birds advising on branches
Dew drops sparkling, mountains and forests receding, flat land breathing harmony, waves spreading to the horizon, white sails.”
Next, the river is personified with singing, with the sound of praise in love and pride for nature, the homeland:
“I take off my shirt to wade in our river
Mekong flows, Mekong also sings”
Most notably, the image of the Cửu Long River, embodying the breath of a mother who has agonized and given birth to “nine golden river branches.” It has not only helped the lives of the people of the South in labor and production but also in their daily lives.
“Mekong quivers giving birth
Nine golden river branches
Southern farmers pillow the land lying in dew
Sweat spreads the field, turning it into rice fields
The names read out, tears want to overflow…”
By the end of the poem, the image of the teacher appears again. The character “I” has grown up, and the teacher has disappeared. “Large boards are now flags” indicate the sacrifice for the nation's independence.
The poem 'Cửu Long giang ta ơi' expresses love for the Mekong River and love for the homeland, the country of the author, like an underground vein, permeating into the blood over time.

2. Reference Essay 3
The poem commences from a cramped classroom to capture the perception of how big the teacher is, and the chalkboard, so large, then extends along the river, unfolding in a broad and connected way from the vast basin. The word 'connected,' both semantically and phonetically, is abundant, and its rhyme with 'at' evokes the sound of waves.
Upon rereading the entire poem, one sees the expansiveness of the poetry, like rising waves, yet the quatrains are intricately organized. The structuring prowess of the novelist Nguyên Hồng deploys military formations. The character of the teacher is honored right from the beginning, yet is not absent in the final lines, not forgotten but because the old teacher has departed.
Even the teaching tools of the old teachers are not forgotten. The map, now no longer looked at, has entered the national domain. Only the ruler and the board remain, the ruler becoming a rod, and the board turning into a flag. The love for the Mekong River, the love for the homeland, the author's country, flows like an underground current.
It is the ecstatic emotion of a ten-year-old boy, a moment of undressing, escaping, entering the grandeur of mountains and rivers. The image of the Cuu Long River through the text 'Cuu Long River, oh my' leaves many impressions. The river appears with majestic beauty, pristine with fallen leaves, honeyed pineapples... full of sentiment.
Moreover, the author has personified the river with singing, like the echo praising the mountains and rivers. That river carries the heart of a mother, flowing to the nine golden river branches. With love for the nature of the country, the writer brings us the image of the gentle, soothing Cuu Long River, full of meaning.

3. Reference Essay 2
'Cuu Long River, oh my' is a poem steeped in the love for the homeland, the country. The poem begins from a cramped classroom to capture the sense of how grand the teacher is, and how large the chalkboard is, then extends along the river, opening in a broad and connected way from the vast basin.
Rereading the entire poem, one senses the expansive breath like rising waves, yet the quatrains are intricately organized from the past to the present, from the subconscious to reflection. The character, the teacher, is honored right from the beginning, yet is not present in the final lines, not forgotten but because the old teacher has departed.
Even the teaching tools of the old teachers are not forgotten. The map, now no longer looked at, has entered the national domain. Only the ruler and the board remain, the ruler becoming a rod, and the board turning into a flag.
It must be said that all the details arranged in that plan express a deep love for the homeland, the country, of the writer. The love for the Mekong River, the love for the homeland, the author's country, flows like an underground current.
It is the ecstatic emotion of a ten-year-old boy, a moment of undressing, escaping, entering the grandeur of mountains and rivers. The poem is lyrical, profound, full of emotions of pride and affection for the roots.

4. Reference Essay 5
'Oh, our Cuu Long River' by Nguyen Hong is a poem constructed starting with the cramped image of the classroom. It then transitions to vast images of the Mekong River – Cuu Long River and images of the people of the Southern region. Through this, the author aims to provide readers with an understanding of the people and the river here, expressing the author's sentiments towards the homeland, the land of Vietnam.
Upon rereading the entire poem, we sense an expansive breath like rising waves, yet the quatrains are intricately organized from the past to the present, from the subconscious to reflection.
The character, the teacher, is honored right from the beginning, yet is absent in the final lines, not forgotten but because the teacher sacrificed for the nation's independence. The map has entered the national domain. Only the ruler and the board remain, the ruler becoming a rod, and the board turning into a flag.
All the details are arranged to express a deep love for the homeland, the country, of the writer. The love for the Mekong River, the love for the homeland, the author's country, flows like an underground current. The poem captivates readers in the love and pride for the homeland river.
The poem 'Oh, our Cuu Long River' by Nguyen Hong is composed in free verse with a unique structure. Besides, the author succeeds in using various impressive literary devices such as comparisons, metaphors, metaphors, etc., to elevate the beauty of the Cuu Long River and vividly describe the people of the Southern region, helping readers understand more about the people and the homeland river.

5. Reference Essay 4
Across the curved expanse of the S-shaped land, numerous rivers converge to raise a song of love, to contemplate the roots, to evoke memories of a peaceful childhood.
These rivers have given wings to poets, soaring with the inspiration of patriotism and familial affection. The Cuu Long River in 'Oh, Our Cuu Long River' is one such river.
The Mekong River reaches the ten-year-old student from within the expansive classroom, from the magical map, where the boy encounters the vast river that makes his heart beat inexplicably strong. The river appears in the majestic, pristine beauty of nature with 'bamboo rafts fallen, palm trees devastated.'
The river is personified with the sound of singing, with the melody praising the love and pride of nature, the homeland. And that river carries the breath, the soul of a mother, a mother who endured pain and gave birth to the 'nine golden river branches,' the Cuu Long River of ours.
The author wrote about the river with all the pride of a patriotic child. The Cuu Long River – it is not just a river enriching the soil for the prosperity of flowers and fruits; it is also the river of pride, of intense and sincere patriotism.

6. Reference Essay 7
'Oh, Our Cuu Long River' by Nguyen Hong is imbued with the love for homeland, the country. The poem begins with the image of a ten-year-old boy shedding his mortal coil to immerse himself in the aura of the mountains and rivers. In the enthusiasm of the student, elevating into the realm of dreams, geography suddenly gains an unexpected depth. The image of the teacher appears magnificently, at the end of the poem, he no longer appears because he sacrificed himself for the nation's independence. Reading the work, we not only witness laughter but also hear the Mekong singing, sharing the pain of labor. The Mekong River holds the memories of the student years with its radiant map, the magnificent teacher, the magical staff, and the strong heartbeat. That profound impression has become a lasting memory of the river in the character's mind. In summary, the poem helps readers feel the author's love for the homeland river.

7. Reference Essay 6
Nguyen Hong is one of the authors who excels in both prose and poetry in Vietnamese literature. His works bring unique values both in content and artistry, contributing to the national literary treasury. One of those cannot be overlooked is the poem 'Oh, Our Cuu Long River.'
Right from the title, the poem gives us powerful impressions. It's like an engraved call, a song, the voice emanating from love for the homeland, the country, the pride for the hometown river.
The Cuu Long River comes to the ten-year-old student through the teacher's lecture. From the miraculous map, the boy encounters the vast river:
'In the past, we went to school
Ten years old, feeling the autumn wind
Eyes lifted to see the radiant map
Like a field of flowers suddenly encountering a dreamy night.
The new map is freshly plastered, the teacher is so grand, the ruler is so big
The magical staff and the arm of the dao master
Take us to the magnificent river and mountains.'
The Cuu Long River is portrayed with vivid and majestic beauty, using words to depict the poet's authentic images: 'fallen bamboo, honey dripping from withered pandanus.'
'Mekong flows
Broken rocks of bamboo
Contemplating, the elephant walks away
Khon waterfall laughs, white as a blank canvas
Orchids bloom, pandanus scent rising in the air
Summer noons are filled with Truong Son sunlight...'
Not only the majestic beauty, not stopping at the fierceness, but the river also appears with a dreamy, sentimental beauty:
'I go... the map is no longer visible... Autumn sky gathers butterflies with the blue sky
Fresh bamboo, birds chirping, dewdrops glistening.'
The river is personified, expressing human pride in nature, the country through songs, with sounds praising pride:
'I take off my shirt, wading in our river's song
Mekong flows, Mekong also sings.'
Most notably, perhaps, is the image of the Cuu Long River being personified with the breath of a mother who suffered and gave birth to 'nine golden river branches.' That river not only benefits the lives of people in the South in labor and production but also supports the daily lives of the people very much.
'Mekong gives birth
Nine golden river branches
Southern farmers lie on the ground at dawn
Sweat turns barren land into rice fields
Names read aloud bring tears to everyone...'
At the end of the poem, the images of the character and the teacher from that year reappear. However, it is no longer the ten-year-old student; the character 'I' has grown up, and the teacher of that year has also passed away. The 'big ruler' now becomes the flagpole.
The poem 'Oh, Our Cuu Long River' has expressed the love for the Cuu Long River (Mekong River). It is also an expression of love for the homeland, the country of the author like an underground stream, permeating into the blood over time.

8. Reference Essay 9
Exploring the meandering S-shaped land, numerous rivers converge to raise the melody of love, evoke the roots, and reminisce about the peaceful childhood. These rivers have given wings to poets with the inspiration of patriotism and ancestral affection. The Cuu Long River in 'Oh, Our Cuu Long River' is one such river. The Mekong River comes to the ten-year-old student from the large classroom, from the magical map. The boy encounters the majestic river, making his heart pound strongly in an indescribable way. The river appears in the magnificent and pristine beauty of nature with 'fallen bamboo, honey dripping from withered pandanus.' The river is personified with singing, with sound praising love, the pride of nature, the homeland. And that river carries the breath, the soul of a mother, a mother who suffered and gave birth to 'nine golden river branches,' that is our Cuu Long River. The author wrote about the river with all the pride of a patriotic child. Cuu Long River – it is not just a river enriching fertile alluvium for crops; it is also a river of pride, of intense and sincere love for the country.

9. Reference Essay 8
'Oh, Our Cuu Long River' by Nguyen Hong is a poem encapsulating the spirit of patriotism. The poem begins with the imagery of a classroom, expanding to a vast river. When reading the entire poem, we feel the expansive breath like rising waves, yet the four verses are tightly organized from the past to the present, from the subconscious back to contemplation. The character of the teacher is honored from the first lines, absent only in the last lines not because forgotten, but because the teacher sacrificed for the nation's independence. The map has entered the national domain. Only the ruler and board remain, the ruler turning into a staff, and the board becoming the national flag. Every detail is arranged to express a heartfelt love for the homeland, the nation, from the author. The love for the Mekong River, love for the homeland, and nation flow like an underground stream. The poem captivates readers in the passion and pride for the homeland river.

10. Reference Essay 11
Exploring 'Oh, Our Cuu Long River,' readers are deeply impressed by the imagery of the Cuu Long River. In the teacher's lecture, the river appears with the intense beauty of 'fallen bamboo and rocks, enveloped by various plants like wild orchids, honeyed pandanus, and resinous pine' as it flows through the Truong Son range, the Khon waterfall. However, the river is also tranquil with 'butterflies against the blue sky, birds singing on branches, sparkling dew, mountains receding, flat land breathing harmoniously, waves reaching the horizon with white sails.' The Cuu Long River emerges in the melodious praise of nature and the homeland. The river carries the breath of a mother who suffered and gave birth to the 'nine golden branches.' It has assisted the lives of people in the South not only in labor and production but also in daily life. One can clearly see the author's love, affection, and pride for the river of the homeland and the nation.

11. Reference Essay 10
Nguyen Hong's poem 'Oh, Our Cuu Long River' has left a profound impression on readers about the Cuu Long River. The river comes to the ten-year-old student through the teacher's lecture. From the magical map, the boy encounters the vast river that makes his heart beat strongly, inexplicably. The river appears with the majestic beauty of 'fallen bamboo and rocks,' 'wild pandanus in ruin.' Not only that, the river is gentle in its melody, with sounds praising love, the pride of nature. And that river has been intertwined with the lives of the people, carrying the breath of a mother who suffered and gave birth to the 'nine golden branches.' The verses reveal an intense love, a pride for the river of the homeland.

