Buzz
Prompt: Vu Quan Phuong remarked: The poetic description is succinct yet vivid, portraying not just the figure of the old man but also the societal critique reflected through his eyes. Analyzing the poem Old Man serves to substantiate this viewpoint.
Analyzing the poem Old Man to validate the statement: The poetic description is succinct yet vivid...
Response:
In the modern poetry movement from 1932 to 1945, alongside passionate love verses and innovative themes, there still exists a deep-seated nostalgia. Readers encounter such verses in the poem 'Old Man' by Vu Dinh Lien. Upon reading this poem, Vu Quan Phuong remarked: 'The poetic description is succinct yet vivid, portraying not just the figure of the old man but also the societal critique reflected through his eyes.'
'Old Man' refers to whom? They were once exemplary teachers, pillars of the old regime. In their heyday, they were respected and honored by society. Every holiday season, people visited them not only to express gratitude but also to request calligraphy with characters like 'Heart,' 'Virtue,' 'Longevity,' and 'Prosperity'—neatly and fully representing both skill and heart.
But times changed, as Western culture inundated our country and gradually dominated the educational landscape, these old men began to fade away. Their skill and heart were now only expressed through characters displayed for sale on the roadside. Sensing the sorrow and desolation of these 'forgotten souls,' Vu Dinh Lien penned an 'Old Man' that touches the hearts of many.
Vũ Đình Liên's poem stands as a remarkable success in the realm of modern poetry. It's composed of just twenty lines, yet it vividly resurrects the image of the old scholar from the early 20th century and the decadent era of that time. Vũ Quần Phương aptly remarked, 'The description is succinct, yet the scenes emerge as if painted, portraying not just the figure of the old scholar but also the societal decadence through his eyes.'
The first two lines of the poem paint a picture of the old scholar amidst vibrant, lively images:
'Every year, cherry blossoms bloom anew
And once more, the old scholar appears
Displaying red ink and paper boats
Amidst bustling streets.'
The repetition of 'Every year... once more' emphasizes the familiarity of the old scholar's image. Alongside the pink of cherry blossoms, the red of paper, the black of ink, and the lively atmosphere of the streets, the figure of the old scholar becomes an indispensable part of the spring scenery.
In the subsequent stanza, the figure of the old scholar becomes the focal point for admiration and praise:
'Countless seek writers to pen
And marvel at his talent
His brushstrokes dance like phoenixes
In a sky where dragons soar.'
The phrase 'countless seek' indicates the reverence and reliance the people have on the old scholar. With his remarkable talent, 'marvel at his talent' resonates like a round of applause, praising his artistic prowess. His skill, like the graceful dance of phoenixes and soaring dragons, has illuminated the annals of Chinese literature. This talent of his is presented to everyone as a gift for the spring, adorning homes with warmth and familial affection.
However, beneath the laughter, a hint of bitterness remains. The Chinese script, once revered as 'sacred and virtuous,' the script he wrote embodies both skill and the writer's heart. But now, these sacred values have been cast aside, reduced to mere commodities for hire. Just a single character evokes doubt and a subtle sense of melancholy.
It's truly sorrowful how a beautiful tradition of our people has faded away, how the vibrant imagery of spring has slowly vanished as Western culture infiltrated our land. And now, people have forgotten the Tet couplets, leaving the Tet days sparse, devoid of familiar figures:
'Yet every year, more vacant it seems
No hired writers in sight
The red paper lacks its cheer
Ink pools in pens, melancholy's blight.'
Still 'every year,' but now with 'yet' added, disrupting the familiar order. Vu Dinh Lien painted a scene full of poignant sorrow. Amidst the cherry blossoms, the old scholar sits forlorn, the distant figures fading away. If only there were some change that people didn't like about his writing, it would be one thing, but here those who come to him slowly diminish, the affection for calligraphy also greatly fading. Perhaps, does anyone still think of him only out of pity? The anthropomorphic techniques continuously used—'sorrowful red paper,' 'ink pooling,' 'melancholy pen'—only deepen the disappointment of the old scholar. The sadness permeates not only into the means of livelihood but also into the natural scenery, rendering the space even more desolate and lonely.
'The old scholar still sits there
No one passing by seems to care
Golden leaves fall upon paper's stare
Outside, dust dances in the air.'
Though the old scholar still sits there, he's been forgotten by everyone. He's now just a pitiful relic of a 'bygone era.' And perhaps since then, he's forever vanished. Perhaps at that time, only poets could empathize with his sorrow. Just empathize, as the sorrow is too immense to share. The age gap, and especially the gap between two different cultures, leave the poet standing afar, gazing at the old scholar with sympathy. And oddly enough, a single golden leaf:
A golden leaf falls upon the paper
Outside, dust dances in the rain
The rain and dust are understandable, as it's springtime. But why a solitary golden leaf? This is probably not a remnant of winter but can only be explained like this: our land is tropical, with evergreen trees in all seasons, so a golden leaf could fall anytime. If in joy, perhaps no one would notice the quiet departure of a golden leaf after fulfilling its mission.
In moments of sadness, our souls are sensitive, particularly to sorrow. So, after a lifetime of nurturing trees, when a golden leaf falls, it still manages to convey a message to the world. It's not a message of autumn but a message of the old scholar's sorrow, of an art form slowly slipping into oblivion. The lone leaf, choosing no particular spot but landing directly on the paper, now becomes significant evidence of the old scholar's deep-seated sorrow. Now, even if one wanted to bring tiny joys to life, nobody seems to care anymore.
The fifth painting starkly contrasts with the first:
This year, cherry blossoms bloom again
Yet the old scholar is nowhere to be seen...
The message of spring has been delivered. The poet, out of habit, strolls the streets to behold the familiar scenes of old. It shouldn't come as a surprise. Given the circumstances of last year, the old scholar couldn't possibly reappear, one couldn't cling to hope for a bygone era. Yet in the poet's psyche, the image of the old scholar is indispensable in his spring painting. Hence, the disappointment. The impression weighs so heavily that the poet feels as though the old scholar departed long ago. He has become the 'old scholar,' the person 'of ages past,' prompting the poet to cry out:
Those of ages past
Where do your spirits now dwell?
