Prompt: Through the image of the stork in the lullabies, what does the author want to convey?
What does the author want to convey through the image of the stork in the lullabies?
Essay:
'The stork is the Stork flying lalala Flying from the...is from the palace Flying out is out to the field Love is nature, nature is love'
Since ancient times, the image of storks foraging has become part of Vietnamese folklore and folk songs. Particularly, the image of the stork through lullabies has become very intimate and affectionate in every child's subconscious. In the poem 'The Stork,' Che Lan Vien also creatively and innovatively exploited that image to praise the sacred motherly love, the great sacrifice of the mother through the lullabies. The stork has become a beauty, a central figure in the poem.
Storks come to children through their mothers' lullabies, even when the child is very young and doesn't know about storks yet.
'The child is still carried in arms
The child doesn't know the stork yet
But in the mother's singing
There are stork wings flying'
The image of the stork toiling, alone, to find food is a metaphor for the tough, sacrificial life of the mother. The stork accompanies the child in every step of life's journey, from childhood to school days and into adulthood with many achievements. The stork in the mother's lullabies has been with the child throughout the journey from infancy to adulthood.
'Sleep peacefully, sleep peacefully, sleep peacefully
For the white stork to come and make friends
The stork stands around the cradle
Then the stork goes into the nest
When the child sleeps peacefully, the stork also sleeps
The wings of the stork, the two are laid together
When you grow up, what will you do?
You will be a poet
The white stork's wings keep flying without rest'
Just like how a mother's image always stays in the minds of her children. The stork symbolizes the mother's vast, ever-watchful, supportive heart, always there for her children no matter the distance, difficulty, or obstacle.
No matter where, a mother's love always abundantly pours out for her child, nurturing their soul.
'Even when grown up, you are still your mother's child Through life, your mother's heart is always with you'
The stork's wings in the lullabies evoke in everyone the hardships, the toils, and the simplicity of the many fates of working people. They evoke sacrifices, drops of sweat of laborers, and the beauty in the character of mothers. It is the great love of mothers for their children, each lullaby containing those profound emotions. The stork's wings also evoke the peaceful, tranquil beauty of the countryside where storks fly straight, along with the rich and fulfilling life of the hardworking farmers.
