Top 7 Best Essays Analyzing "The Beauty and Richness of the Vietnamese Language" by Đặng Thai Mai for Grade 7

The Vietnamese language is rich in imagery and symbolism. With its system of reduplicative words, compound words, and onomatopoeic terms, it has the ability to evoke vivid images in the minds of listeners.

I remember when I was in fifth grade, my teacher told me: "Our Vietnamese language is rich and beautiful, so we must learn to cherish, respect, and preserve it" (the reason he said this was because at the time, I had picked up a few French words from my older brother and some Russian words from a neighbor's daughter who had just returned from Russia. So, in my composition, I mixed both French and Russian words. At that moment, I thought to myself, "The teacher wouldn't be able to write like I do because he doesn't know foreign languages. What's so special about Vietnamese anyway?" But as I progressed to the 6th and 7th grades and encountered various beautiful poems and literature, I began to deeply appreciate my teacher's words. Looking back at my naive and foolish thoughts, I felt embarrassed.

The richness and beauty of the Vietnamese language is a topic that has drawn the attention of many scholars. The late Prime Minister Pham Van Dong wrote an essay titled 'Preserving the Purity of Vietnamese,' while critic Dang Thai Mai wrote about 'Vietnamese, a Powerful Expression of National Vitality'... Writers and poets have long recognized this and quietly refined the language, making it increasingly "pure," "bright," "rich," and "beautiful." Indeed, Vietnamese is a language that is both rich and beautiful. With its ability to create vivid imagery and symbolism, the language can paint clear pictures in the listener's mind. For example, we can all remember the two lines from the poem by Ba Huyen Thanh Quan that use words to evoke striking images and emotions:

Lom khom under the mountain, a few woodcutters

Scattered by the river, only a few houses

Thanks to the reduplicative words "lom khom" and "lác đác," the expressiveness of these lines is significantly enhanced. The desolate and lonely scenery of Deo Ngang during the evening becomes even more poignant and melancholic. Interestingly, even simple Vietnamese words have great imagery value. For instance:

My body is both fair and round

Seven rises and three sinks with the river and mountains

(Ho Xuan Huong)

And here is another example, depicting the majestic and powerful image of a tiger:

I step boldly, proud and regal

My body swirls like waves in a rhythmic dance

Quietly circling, sharp as thorns on grass

In the darkness, I lose my form when my eyes flash

Leaving all things silent in my wake

(The Lu)

Along with its ability to create imagery, Vietnamese is also a language rich in sound and melody. With a broad array of vowels and consonants, along with its tonal system, Vietnamese can produce a wide range of musical notes: sometimes soothing and melodic, sometimes sharp and lively, sometimes deep and passionate. Listen to the gentle, melodic rhythms in the following folk verse:

The wind carries the bamboo branches swaying

The bell of Chấn Vũ rings, the rooster of Thọ Xương crows

Smoke rises, enveloping the thousand mists

The rhythm of the chày Yên Thái echoes on the mirror-like surface of Tây Hồ

Feel the sweet "huyền tone" (Xuân Diệu) in the verses of 'Chinh phụ ngâm':

The water in the head of the bridge is as clear as filtered

The grass by the bridge is still fresh and young

And listen to the vibrant, emotional, and graceful rhythm in Tố Hữu's poetry:

How beautiful, our homeland!

The forest of cọ trees, the hills of tea, the endless green fields

The bright sun over the Lô River, the joyful sound of songs

The boat's rhythm flowing across the Bình Ca waters

.

With these two abilities alone, creating imagery and music, Vietnamese is undoubtedly a rich and beautiful language. However, its richness and beauty go beyond this. One striking feature of Vietnamese is its ability to express emotions and subtle nuances. It can convey the varied and intricate emotional states within the human soul. Take, for instance, the way the language expresses longing. Here is a verse expressing a melancholic longing:

When you leave, you miss your homeland

Longing for the morning soup, longing for the fish stew

Longing for someone braving the wind and rain

Longing for someone dipping water by the road on that day

(Trần Tuấn Khải)

Here is a verse depicting a stronger, more desperate longing:

Longing for someone so intensely

It feels like standing on hot coals, sitting on a pile of straw

(Folk poetry)

And here is a verse that conveys deep sorrow and melancholy:

The man has gone far, into the winds and rain

The woman has returned to her simple bed

Looking back, the distance is vast

The blue clouds stretch over the thousand green mountains.

(Chinh phụ ngâm)

The vocabulary of Vietnamese is also incredibly rich and unique. Just examining the pronouns used in the language reveals its distinctiveness. In addition to the standard pronouns listed in dictionaries, the Vietnamese also use terms related to family relationships as forms of address, adding more emotional nuance to the language. The way Vietnamese people address each other is also particularly unique. There are terms like "ai" (who), "ta" (I), and "mình" (we/us), which can represent both the speaker and the listener, or both. Just the use of the word "mình" in the following examples can convey a lot of meaning:

We walk, yet we still remember ourselves

As many waters as there are, as much love as there is

(Tố Hữu)

We tell ourselves we're still young

We go through the alley, seeing our child crawling

Our child is covered in dirt and ashes

We go to fetch water to wash for our child

(Folk poetry)

The more we study Vietnamese, the more we are amazed by its beauty and richness, and the more we come to love this language.

Đặng Thai Mai (1902-1984) was a renowned writer, educator, literary critic, and professor in modern Vietnamese literature. He held the position of Minister of Education and was also the first Director of the Institute of Vietnamese Literature in the previous century. His vast knowledge of Confucianism, as well as his familiarity with various literary traditions such as classical French literature, modern Chinese literature, and contemporary Vietnamese literature, laid the foundation for his influential literary criticism. His works, including studies like 'Lu Xun' (1944) and 'The Poetry of Phan Boi Chau' (1958), along with profound insights into modern Vietnamese poetry, are celebrated both in Vietnam and internationally.

The rise of several academic works on the reform of the Vietnamese language has brought to mind a passage from Đặng Thai Mai's 1967 study 'Vietnamese: A Vibrant Expression of Life,' titled 'The Richness and Beauty of the Vietnamese Language.' With comprehensive arguments and evidence, the excerpt demonstrates the richness of the Vietnamese language through various stages of development, showcasing its vitality and the resilience of the Vietnamese people.

In the opening section of this passage, Đặng Thai Mai introduces the general topic of the beauty of Vietnamese, beginning with an assertive statement: 'The Vietnamese people today have ample and solid reasons to be proud of their language, and to have confidence in its future.' This statement sparks the reader's curiosity, prompting them to seek further understanding in the following text. He continues by asserting, 'Vietnamese has the characteristics of a beautiful, elegant language,' offering an explanation as to why we can be proud of our language and confident in its future.

Simultaneously, the author expresses his deep respect and appreciation for Vietnamese, presenting an objective and thoughtful perspective on the language. He then goes on to provide the most general arguments to support the 'beauty' and 'elegance' of Vietnamese. The language's beauty lies in its 'harmonious sound quality,' its subtlety and fluidity in sentence structure, and its ability to express the full range of human emotions and thoughts, satisfying the cultural and historical demands of Vietnamese life. Thus, Đặng Thai Mai's initial remarks on the language's beauty are conveyed with logical reasoning, scientific style, and a tone that resonates with readers.

In the second part, the author elaborates on his claims, offering clear and well-structured examples to demonstrate the richness of the Vietnamese language. First, he supports the assertion that Vietnamese is a beautiful language by citing foreign commentators, who have praised its musical qualities, describing it as 'a language rich in melody.' To further solidify this point, Đặng Thai Mai includes remarks from Western scholars (who possess knowledge of Vietnamese and authority in linguistics), noting that 'Vietnamese is a 'beautiful' language, clear in speech, graceful in sentence structure, and exquisite in its proverbs.' From an external perspective, foreigners have a precise understanding of Vietnamese, and this is confirmed by the striking clarity and beauty of Vietnamese idioms and proverbs, which are rich in imagery and fluidity.

The 'beauty' of Vietnamese is also demonstrated through Đặng Thai Mai's own expertise as a literary theorist with broad knowledge of world literature. He points out that Vietnamese has a 'rich system of vowels and consonants,' and that it is 'enriched with tonal variations,' with six distinct tones that add a unique melodic quality to the language. He likens Vietnamese to musical scales, helping the reader to visualize the language's musicality.

In his second argument, Đặng Thai Mai asserts that Vietnamese is an 'excellent' language, contributing to the perfection of a language system. A language that is not only 'beautiful' in form and sound but also effective in fulfilling its communicative function. As Đặng Thai Mai notes, it must 'serve as a means of conveying emotions and meaning between people.' Vietnamese meets this criterion completely, as the language is 'rich in vocabulary and expressive forms.' Over time, Vietnamese has become more nuanced, incorporating words from other languages and enriching its lexicon, enabling it to express complex ideas across diverse fields. Moreover, Vietnamese has evolved to improve its grammar, making communication more seamless and fluid.

Finally, after demonstrating the richness and beauty of Vietnamese, Đặng Thai Mai concludes by affirming that the vitality of the language reflects the vitality of the nation: 'We can confidently say... its vitality.' In this excerpt from 'The Richness and Beauty of Vietnamese,' Đặng Thai Mai skillfully uses a logical framework and abundant evidence to convey both scientific and practical insights. His writing style, which combines fluid language with intellectual rigor, helps readers appreciate the theoretical and real-life aspects of the Vietnamese language, deepening their understanding of the author's passionate love for the Vietnamese language and his dedication to scholarly research.

The Vietnamese people take great pride in their rich and beautiful language. Vietnamese is rich and beautiful because it is the result of centuries of history passed down by our ancestors. It reflects a history of labor, survival, and development—of protecting and building the nation. The beauty of the Vietnamese language lies in its expression of the life of the Vietnamese people, both abundant and beautiful.

The two main sources of Vietnamese richness come from the language of the people, expressed in proverbs and folk songs, and from the refined, artistic language of great writers and poets. Folk sayings and songs are the people's language—simple, clear, and pure—because they reflect common speech. The oral and collective nature of these forms has led to their continuous refinement. The diversity of life is mirrored in the variety of proverbs and folk songs. Some reflect labor and agriculture, such as 'The best soil, second the seed, third the effort, fourth the variety,' or 'Plowing the field in the afternoon—sweat falls like rain on the fields…'. Others focus on learning: 'One day of travel, one basket of wisdom' or 'Learn to speak, learn to wrap, learn to open.' There are also proverbs about the way of life: 'Love others as yourself,' 'Remember the source when drinking water'… In this rich treasury of folk sayings and songs, some phrases truly shine as beautiful gems.

For example:

'O girl, fetching water by the side of the road,

Why do you pour the golden moonlight away?'

This folk song paints a poetic picture of labor, while also offering a unique, subtle expression of love. It transports us to a tranquil, ethereal night with the moon casting its light on a girl collecting water. The sound of each water scoop expands the space, and the moonlight, like water, spreads and sparkles over the field. It's late in the night, and all that remains is the sound of the water scoops and the young man's question, 'Why do you pour the golden moonlight away?' The moonlight is so beautiful, why waste it? Only those with beautiful souls, even artists, could appreciate such beauty. This playful reproach suggests that the girl is wasting beauty, yet the moonlight continues to shine—she too is creating beauty. It is a subtle compliment hidden in a reproach! The girl remains silent, perhaps in agreement, for silence often conveys the deepest understanding. This is a truly beautiful folk song. Other songs carry similar meanings:

'In the lotus pond, it is as beautiful as the lotus,

Green leaves, white flowers, with golden stamens.'

'The golden stamen, white flower, green leaves,'

'Close to the mud, yet it doesn’t smell of mud.'

This folk song has two layers of meaning. The first describes the beauty of the lotus with its 'green leaves, white flowers, and golden stamens'—a description from the outside in. The second meaning, about the 'golden stamen, white flower, green leaves,' is a description from the inside out. The fourth line speaks to the lotus's purity: no matter where it grows, it remains clean, like a person who lives in a rough world yet maintains purity. This metaphor uses the aesthetic image of the lotus to convey the message of maintaining good character. The Vietnamese people remember the folk saying:

'The silk is used to cover the mirror frame,

The people of one country should love each other.'

'Silk' refers to thin, brightly colored fabric often placed on ancestral altars. The 'mirror frame' is the wooden frame holding a picture of the ancestors. The phrase evokes the image of an altar and, within the context of the whole folk song, calls for unity and love among all people. This is a sensitive, elegant folk saying.

These folk songs express the emotional and spiritual life of the Vietnamese people. They are a source for nurturing sophisticated literature. Our great writers and poets, such as Nguyễn Trãi, Nguyễn Du, Hồ Chí Minh, Tố Hữu, were greatly influenced by proverbs and folk songs, raising their literary works to an artistic and refined level. One of Nguyễn Du's famous lines:

'Glimmering at the bottom of the water, reflecting the sky,

The city is built of green smoke, mountains bask in golden shadows.'

This verse paints a picture of the sky, clear water, and gentle winds—'Glimmering at the bottom of the water, reflecting the sky.' The distant green clouds seem to form a fortress. As evening falls, 'the mountains bask in golden shadows.' Another verse comes alive with vibrant imagery, color, and sound.

'Under the moon, the cuckoo calls for summer,

At the top of the wall, pomegranate flowers bloom brightly.'

Vietnamese is rich and beautiful, capable of expressing the full range of emotions. We can read a few lines from the *Chinh Phu Ngam*:

'Both look back, but neither sees,

They see thousands of mulberry trees,

The mulberry trees are a deep, lush green,

Who is more sorrowful, the husband or the wife?'

The wife sends her husband off to war. He turns back for a moment, but they can't see each other through the tears. Between them is the 'thousands of mulberry trees,' a symbolic barrier of distance and sorrow. Both are filled with sorrow, but who feels it more? Truly, if the Vietnamese language were not rich and beautiful, it could not express such profound emotional depth. In modern literature, we also encounter the sweet, heartfelt words of poet Tố Hữu:

'I return, do you remember me?

Fifteen years, so deep, so full…'

This is a beautiful reflection of folk song influences, rich with human emotion. There are many more sentences and poems to show the beauty of the Vietnamese language. Vietnamese is the heart and soul of the people. We love it more every day, learning and preserving its purity. This is a way to express our love for our country and people.

In his essay on preserving the purity of the Vietnamese language, former Prime Minister Pham Van Dong wrote: "Perhaps our Vietnamese language is beautiful because the soul of the Vietnamese people is very beautiful, because the lives and struggles of our people throughout history have been noble, great, and thus very beautiful...". Once again, the critic Dang Thai Mai strongly affirmed this in his work "The Richness of the Vietnamese Language", an excerpt from the larger piece on the Vietnamese language as a powerful expression of national vitality, first published in 1967.

At the start of the text, Dang Thai Mai made the observation: "Vietnamese is a beautiful language, a fine language." He then succinctly explained this assertion: "By this, I mean that Vietnamese is a harmonious language in terms of its intonation and tones, and it is also very delicate and fluid in its sentence structure. Furthermore, it means that the Vietnamese language has the full capacity to express the emotions and thoughts of the Vietnamese people and to meet the cultural needs of the country through different historical periods."

Next, the author focused on proving the richness and beauty of Vietnamese across several aspects, such as phonetics, vocabulary, and syntax: "Vietnamese is a language rich in musical quality"; "It is very clear in expression, very flexible in sentence construction, and very delightful in proverbs"; "It has a fairly rich system of vowels and consonants"; "It serves as a medium for exchanging emotions and thoughts between people"; "Vietnamese has abundant potential in word formation and modes of expression"; "The vocabulary of Vietnamese continues to grow daily over time"; "Its grammar is becoming increasingly refined"; "It constantly creates new words and expressions"...

With a wealth of diverse and comprehensive examples, the author clarified the richness of the Vietnamese language, concluding that: "The structure of Vietnamese, with its ability to adapt to different contexts, is proof of its vitality."

The author provided a rich and thorough, accurate set of examples, which are convincing and persuasive. The explanations and proofs are concise, clear, and logically coherent. The text reflects the author's profound knowledge, pride, confidence, and love for the Vietnamese language—a sacred and beloved language of the Vietnamese people.

The essay uses a persuasive style, primarily relying on reasoning and examples to assert the richness of the Vietnamese language. Dang Thai Mai employed both direct and indirect methods of proof to highlight the beauty and value of Vietnamese. The author not only directly analyzes, comments, and explains the richness of Vietnamese but also incorporates the opinions and remarks of foreign experts about the language to create objectivity and enhance the persuasiveness of the essay.

The author effectively combines explanatory, demonstrative, and evaluative techniques in a harmonious and fluent manner. Together with clear, concise, and logical reasoning, these arguments form a highly convincing case.

Using compelling reasoning and comprehensive evidence, the essay successfully demonstrates the wealth and beauty of Vietnamese across various aspects: phonetics, vocabulary, and grammar. Vietnamese, with its enduring qualities and creative potential, is a vibrant reflection of the nation's spirit.

This essay is an excerpt from the beginning of a long research paper on the title 'Vietnamese Language, a Powerful Expression of National Vitality' by Dang Thai Mai. It discusses the richness and beauty of the Vietnamese language. Although it is just an excerpt, the structure of the essay is clear and logical.

In the opening paragraph, the author introduces a central thesis and briefly explains it. The main body of the essay focuses on demonstrating two key qualities of Vietnamese: its beauty and expressiveness, particularly in phonology, vocabulary, and syntax.

Over time, many opinions and writings have been presented about the beauty of the Vietnamese language and the task of preserving its purity and richness. Some writings offer general impressions, while others focus on specific aspects such as vocabulary or literary forms. In this work, Dang Thai Mai offers a broad perspective without delving deeply into the detailed study of specific elements of the language.

In the opening sentence, the author affirms the great value and significant position of the Vietnamese language: 'The Vietnamese people today have ample and solid reasons to be proud of their language.' This leads to the central thesis: Vietnamese possesses distinctive features of a beautiful and expressive language.

To claim that Vietnamese is beautiful means that it is harmonious in sound, tonal, and flexible in sentence structure. It also means that Vietnamese is capable of expressing the feelings and thoughts of the Vietnamese people while satisfying the cultural demands of the nation throughout history. The beauty of Vietnamese is reflected in two key elements: rhythm (harmony in tone and sound) and syntax (delicacy and fluidity in sentence construction).

This observation is grounded in the real-world ability of Vietnamese to express a wide range of emotions and ideas. Vietnamese is fully capable of conveying the feelings and thoughts of the Vietnamese people and fulfilling the cultural needs of the nation through different historical periods. The sentences in this passage are logically connected, with the first sentence providing a general observation about the nature of Vietnamese, followed by two sentences that explain the beauty and expressiveness of the language. This logical progression from general to specific makes the argument easy to follow and understand.

In the second paragraph, the author focuses on providing evidence to support the claims made in the introduction. To convince the reader, the author draws on an understanding of the Vietnamese language, combining it with logical reasoning and scientific evidence.

First, the author demonstrates that Vietnamese is beautiful in its phonology. The Vietnamese language is rich in musicality and very flexible in its tonal patterns. This is confirmed by observations made in everyday life and scientific research: Many foreigners who have visited Vietnam and had the chance to hear the language have remarked that Vietnamese is a musical language. Though they do not understand the language, their impression is likely not merely a casual compliment.

Foreign scholars familiar with the Vietnamese language have also noted that Vietnamese is a 'beautiful' language, with clear pronunciation, fluid sentence construction, and an elegant sound, particularly in its proverbs.

Vietnamese has a fairly rich system of vowels and consonants, as well as a range of tonal variations. The language includes six distinct tones, giving it a musical quality similar to the varying pitches of a musical scale.

Consider this folk verse:

'Standing on this side of the field, looking across to the other side, vast and endless, Standing on that side of the field, looking back to this side, equally vast and endless.'

'My body is like a rice seedling swaying in the morning sunlight.'

This is the voice of a young man on a beautiful morning, visiting the fields and admiring the expansive landscape and the graceful young woman. He praises the beauty of the field, the young woman, and expresses his deep affection. The verse creates an image of the endless field through repetition, inversion, and symmetrical structures ('Standing on this side - standing on that side', 'vast and endless - endless and vast'), evoking the vastness of the landscape and its vitality.

The young woman is compared to the familiar image of the homeland: 'My body is like a rice seedling swaying in the early morning sun.' The young woman and the landscape are in harmony in their youthful beauty and vitality. This folk poem showcases the musical quality and fluidity of the Vietnamese language. This example strengthens the argument about the beauty of Vietnamese.

What makes Vietnamese a 'beautiful' language? The author explains that it is beautiful because it fulfills the needs of communication, conveying thoughts and emotions between people while meeting the demands of a complex and evolving cultural life.

The following real-world and scientific evidence supports this conclusion: Vietnamese has abundant resources in both word formation and expression. The vocabulary of Vietnamese has expanded over time, continually adapting to incorporate new words and expressions, and even borrowing and adapting terms from other languages. We can demonstrate this with examples from literary works we have studied.

Consider this excerpt from a Vietnamese classical poem:

'Looking back, but seeing nothing, just a sea of green, A green sea, stretching endlessly.'

'A thousand fields of green, one hue of green.'

'Whose sorrow weighs heavier, mine or yours?'

The various shades of green are described with artistic precision. In the distance, the vastness of the green fields stretches to infinity. In the final verse, the distance has become so great that the figure is swallowed up in the endless green. Ironically, this green, typically a symbol of vitality and hope, now suggests a vast, melancholic expanse.

Vietnamese is rich in its ability to express different shades of meaning and emotion. For example, the pronoun 'ta' in the poem 'Crossing the Ngang Pass' by Bà Huyện Thanh Quan (A Private Feeling, Just Me with Me) differs in meaning from 'ta' in Nguyễn Khuyến's 'Visiting My Friend'.

In 'Crossing the Ngang Pass,' the vast and endless landscape highlights the poet's isolation and solitude, intensifying the sadness of the situation:

'Pause and look, at the sky, mountains, and water, A private feeling, just me with me.'

This is a profound expression of loneliness, a deep feeling that the poet encapsulates in the phrase 'just me with me.' The solitude amplifies the sorrow. In contrast, the phrase 'me with me' in Nguyễn Khuyến's poem 'Visiting My Friend' expresses a joyful reunion between two kindred spirits.

'Come visit me, let's enjoy the simple pleasures of life.'

This is a beautiful conclusion, symbolizing the deep connection between friends. The two 'me's represent two hearts meeting and sharing a bond that transcends time and place. The term 'me with me' brings warmth and closeness, celebrating the friendship between the poet and the friend. The language used here elevates the beauty of the emotional exchange.

Through the ages, the vocabulary and grammatical structure of Vietnamese have developed significantly, adapting to real-life needs. This is a clear sign of the language's vitality and its ability to evolve and thrive.

The author has demonstrated that Vietnamese is a beautiful language, harmonious in its sound and tone. Its beauty is evident in its flexibility and expressiveness in both vocabulary and syntax, and it is fully capable of conveying the emotions and thoughts of the people, meeting the demands of the cultural and social evolution of Vietnam.

The beauty and expressiveness of Vietnamese are intricately linked. The beauty of a language often reflects its expressiveness, as it shows the richness and subtlety of expression, which in turn reflects the depth of human emotion and thought. Likewise, the expressiveness of a language contributes to its beauty. For example, in Vietnamese, the subtlety and flexibility in sentence construction not only represent the expressiveness of the language but also enhance its beauty.

Returning to the poem 'Crossing the Ngang Pass' by Bà Huyện Thanh Quan, we see lines that showcase the richness and harmony of the tonal system in Vietnamese:

'Walking towards Ngang Pass, the sun setting low, Grass and trees crowd the rocks, flowers amongst the flowers.'

The natural beauty is captured as a watercolor painting, the musicality of the verse evokes a scene of wild mountains. The beauty is tinged with sadness, as the flowers cannot brighten the scene of the dying day.

The essay's most significant artistic merit lies in how it skillfully combines explanation with demonstration and commentary. The argument is well-structured: the author introduces a thesis, explains it, and supports it with examples that increase the persuasiveness of the argument.

This essay showcases Dang Thai Mai's profound understanding of the Vietnamese language. It instills in us a deep sense of pride and awareness of the need to preserve the beauty of Vietnamese. Loving our native language is a concrete expression of patriotism. Reading and reflecting on this essay, we grow even more confident in the bright future of the Vietnamese language.