The 7 Best Lesson Plans for Xuân Quỳnh's 'Sóng' (Literature 11 - Cánh Diều Textbook)

Question 1, page 13, Literature 11, Volume 1: Research more about the author Xuân Quỳnh and the background of the poem 'Sóng' through different sources like books, newspapers, and the internet. Choose and note down some information to help in understanding the poem.

Answer:

- Author Xuân Quỳnh:

• Xuân Quỳnh was born in 1942 and passed away in 1988, with her birth name being Nguyễn Thị Xuân Quỳnh.
• She was from La Khê, Hà Đông city, Hà Tây province (now part of Hanoi).
• Xuân Quỳnh grew up in a family of civil servants and lost her mother at a young age, being raised by her grandmother.
• She is one of the most prominent poets of the generation that emerged during the Vietnamese resistance war against American imperialism.
• In 2007, Xuân Quỳnh was awarded the Hồ Chí Minh Prize for Literature and Arts.
• Poetic style: Xuân Quỳnh's poetry reflects the emotions of a woman full of empathy, blending innocence, vibrancy, sincerity, and tenderness, with a constant longing for simple, everyday happiness.
• Notable works: Tơ tằm – Chồi biếc (co-authored), Hoa dọc chiến hào, Gió Lào cát trắng, Lời ru trên mặt đất, Tự hát, Hoa cỏ may, Bầu trời trong quả trứng, and the epic poem Truyện Lưu Nguyễn.

- Background of the poem:

• 'Sóng' was written in 1967 during a field trip to the Diêm Điền region (Thái Bình), and is a remarkable poem about love, characteristic of Xuân Quỳnh’s poetic style.
• The poem is included in the collection Hoa dọc chiến hào.

Question 2, page 13, Literature 11, Volume 1: Read the poem 'Sóng' in advance and pay attention to its rhythm.

Answer:

• The rhythm of the poem is often gentle, evoking the resonance of ocean waves:

Violent / and gentle (2/3)

Loud / and quiet (2/3)

Rivers / cannot understand themselves (1/4)

Waves / travel to the ocean (1/4)

Question 3, page 13, Literature 11, Volume 1: What other poems by Xuân Quỳnh do you know? What is your impression of Xuân Quỳnh from these poems?

Answer:

• Poems: 'Tuổi ngựa' (page 149, Vietnamese Language 4, Volume 1); 'Tiếng gà trưa' (page 49, Literature 7, Volume 1).
• Impression: These poems focus heavily on inner emotions, such as childhood memories, family love, etc. Xuân Quỳnh’s verses are rich in emotion and sensitivity.

*While reading

Question 1, page 14, Literature 11, Volume 1: Pay attention to the contrasting states of the waves and the reason why waves move from the river to the ocean.

Answer:

- The contrasting states of the waves:

Violent and gentle

Loud and quiet

• The different emotional states of the waves are akin to the complex and contradictory feelings of a woman in love.

- Reason for waves moving from the river to the ocean:

The river cannot understand itself

Waves reach all the way to the ocean

• This signifies the yearning to escape from the confines of small, narrow, and mundane things.

→ A new perspective on love: Love is self-awareness, reaching for something vast, transcendent, and suitable, flourishing in freedom and happiness.

Question 2, page 14, Literature 11, Volume 1: What thoughts about love are evoked by the image of the waves?

Answer:

Oh, the wave of the past

And still the same in the future

The longing for love

Resonates in the young heart

• Love is always a deep longing, a yearning of youth, stirring the hearts of lovers, of young men and women, of 'you' and 'me.'
• Love, like the waves, is eternal, enduring over time.

→ This affirms the passionate and intense desire for love, which is always present in the hearts of youth.

Question 3, page 14, Literature 11, Volume 1: How is longing in love represented through the image of 'waves'?

Answer:

The wave deep below

The wave on the surface

Oh, the wave longing for the shore

Day and night unable to sleep

My heart remembers you

Even in my dreams I stay awake

- Use of contrast:

• 'Below the deep'; 'on the surface.'
• 'Day' – 'night.'

- Personification: 'Day and night unable to sleep.'

→ This illustrates the overwhelming and persistent longing of the waves for the shore, which mirrors the intense yearning of a woman in love. The longing invades her subconscious.

Question 4, page 15, Literature 11, Volume 1: Pay attention to the desires of women in love.

Answer:

How could I break apart

Into a hundred small waves

In the vast ocean of love

To keep on forever, rolling ashore.

'How' evokes a sense of wonder, longing, and a deep desire to become 'a hundred small waves' that eternally roll toward the shore.

→ The woman's yearning is to merge into life, to live in 'the vast ocean of love,' experiencing an everlasting, timeless love.

I. Questions in the lesson

INTERMEDIATE QUESTIONS

Question 1: What thoughts does the image of "waves" evoke about love?

Question 2: How is longing in love expressed through the image of "waves"?

FINAL QUESTIONS

Question 1: What is your observation about the rhythm and melody of the poem? What elements contribute to the rhythm and melody?

Question 2: The predominant and continuous symbol throughout the poem is the image of “waves,” portrayed in various manifestations. Can you identify these manifestations?

Question 3: There are similarities between the emotions of a woman in love and the various states of the waves. Analyze this similarity and comment on the relationship between the symbols of “waves” and “I” in the poem.

Question 4: Identify and analyze the effects of some literary devices used in the poem.

Question 5: What is your impression of the woman’s soul in love as expressed through the poem "Waves"?

Question 6: In what ways is the woman in the poem "Waves" similar to and different from the women depicted in folk poetry and classical literature that you are familiar with?

Question 7: There are many poems that use the symbols of “waves” and “sea” to describe love. Collect some of these poems and compare them with "Waves" to appreciate the unique creativity of the poet Xuân Quỳnh.

Answers:

INTERMEDIATE QUESTIONS

Question 1: The image of "waves" evokes thoughts of intense and eternal love: the desire to "dissolve" into “hundreds of small waves,” to live fully in the "vast ocean of love," where love is infinite and immortal. This is a yearning to share and dissolve one’s small love into the vast, universal love of life.

Question 2: Longing in love is expressed through the image of "waves": Waves symbolize emotional states, and specifically, in love, waves take on a distinct quality. Waves have many states: "fierce" then "gentle," suddenly "noisy" then "silent," but they are always waves. The poet uses this fluctuation in waves to illustrate the emotional shifts in “I.” My heart, like the waves, is full of endless changes and rhythms, just like the waves’ ebb and flow.

FINAL QUESTIONS

Question 1: Observations:

The melody and rhythm of the poem are restless and lively, created by:

Short lines, a 5-syllable verse form
Rhythm often gentle, evoking the aftersound of the sea waves:
Fierce / and gentle (2/3)
Noisy / and silent (2/3)
The river / cannot understand itself (1/4)
Waves / reach the ocean's end (1/4)
Rhyme: end rhyme and internal rhyme, evoking images of waves chasing one another.

Question 2: The dominant symbol throughout the poem is the “wave,” depicted in various ways: Waves are ocean waves, but even more profoundly, they represent the waves of love—expressed clearly in the poem. Xuân Quỳnh uses ocean waves to convey love, employing a natural phenomenon to express human emotions.

• The symbol of the wave is evoked by the sound of the ocean's rhythm—the soft, lapping sound of the 5-syllable verse. Alongside the waves, the image of “I” stands as a beautiful metaphor for love.
  
  
• In the first two stanzas, waves are portrayed in opposite extremes, evoking the emotional states of love.
• Xuân Quỳnh uses lists to convey the richness of the waves and the many facets of their character. Waves, whether "stormy and noisy" during a tempest, or "gentle and silent" when the sea is calm, demonstrate the various emotional shifts of love.
• Regardless of how varied their personality may be, waves are always connected to the sea, with these extremes existing within one unified entity.
• Waves are described in many forms, with contrasting artistic techniques to show the varying states of the ocean and, metaphorically, the fluctuating emotions of love—the anger and affection of the woman in love.
• In stanzas 3 and 4, through the image of the waves, the poet contemplates her love—comparing it to the vastness of the ocean, as immense as life itself:

The waves start from the wind

The wind starts from where

I do not know either

When we love each other

Through the form of a question, the poet expresses the confusion in searching for the origin of the waves, of love, yet remains helpless. The last two lines are an innocent but profound confession. This is the nature of love.

• In stanzas 5 and 6: The feeling of longing in love is expressed through interesting and unique metaphors:
• Oh, the waves miss the shore

Day and night unable to sleep

My heart longs for you

Even in dreams, I am awake

• The longing of a woman in love is constant: when awake, when asleep, persistent, and passionate:

I always think of you

Turning my thoughts toward you

Every wave reaches the shore

Even through countless barriers

Thus, "waves" and "I" entwine and echo one another throughout the poem, merging with each other, through every emotional shift in love, until finally, they merge in the final stanza:

How can I dissolve

Into a hundred small waves

In the vast sea of love

To echo forever

• This is the woman’s desire to become one with her love, symbolized by the “waves” in Xuân Quỳnh’s poem.

Question 3: Analyzing the similarity between the emotional state of a woman in love and the different states of waves:

Two symbols run parallel to each other throughout: the waves and I. Sometimes they reflect each other, sometimes they separate, and at other times they merge into one. Although these symbols are distinct, they are also inseparable. The nature of the waves mirrors the emotions of the woman in love. This structure deepens the reader's understanding of the concept of eternal, unwavering love. The poem flows seamlessly from the woman observing the ocean, reflecting on the waves, and realizing that love, like the waves, is diverse, ever-changing, powerful, and steadfast. She yearns to transform into a small wave, forever echoing in the "great sea of love."

Question 4: Literary devices in the poem: repetition: "the waves," contrasts: "deep heart – surface waters," "day – night," "awake – asleep," metaphor: the wave is I, the shore is you, personification. Many literary techniques are used by the poet to enhance the imagery and emotional resonance, revealing the heart of a woman in love, with all its fluctuations, struggles, and intense longing. These devices all blend together to express a love that endures despite obstacles.

Question 5: My impression of the woman’s soul in love through the poem "Waves": The poem vividly portrays the woman’s soul in love—genuine, passionate, intense, eternal, and pure. It embodies the traditional beauty of a Vietnamese woman in love, but also the boldness and agency of the modern Vietnamese woman, who actively embraces love.

Question 6: The woman in the poem "Waves" is both similar to and different from women in folk poetry and classical literature: The love of the woman in "Waves" is passionate, profound, and steadfast, always yearning for her beloved. This is reminiscent of women from traditional folk poetry, who are often depicted as reserved, faithful in love. However, the woman in Xuân Quỳnh’s poem is also passionate and eager to transcend boundaries—her love is no longer confined, it breaks through barriers. This reflects the modern woman’s strength, independence, and vision.

Question 7: The Sea

I'm not worthy to be the blue sea

But I want you to be the white sand shore

The soft, calm shore

Shining with crystal light...

The beautiful golden sand shore

The gentle pine trees standing tall

Quietly dreaming

Through the millennia by the waves...

I’ll be the blue wave

To kiss the golden sand

Softly, gently, forever

I’ve kissed, and I will kiss again

Until eternity

Until the world fades

I will kiss passionately...

Sometimes fiercely

As the tides love the shore

I’m not worthy to be the blue sea

But I ask to be the clear sea

To sing forever by the rocks

With undying love

To leave the waves crashing white

And the wind blowing everywhere

As I kiss forever, never satisfied

Because I love you so, my shore!

(Xuân Diệu)

If Xuân Diệu’s poem about the sea captures the essence of a love set within the expanse of the ocean, Xuân Quỳnh’s "Waves" reveals the complex, opposing emotional states of a woman in love. Xuân Quỳnh’s poem expresses the sensitivity and anxiety of the speaker about life and the passage of time. It conveys the emotional turmoil and yearning of the persona to become "a hundred small waves," to endlessly resonate with the shore. It is the longing of a woman to merge into life, to live fully with her love. "Waves" represents a modern understanding of love: it is self-awareness, a quest for the vast and distant. It is an affirmation of the burning desire for love that eternally pulses in the hearts of youth.

* Answer the final question:

Question 1 (page 15 of the Literature textbook, Grade 11, Volume 1): What are your observations about the rhythm and melody of the poem? What elements contribute to these rhythms and melodies?

Answer:

- Observations:

• The melody in the poem reflects the sound of waves in the sea, both fierce and gentle.
• The lines are rhythmically varied, mimicking the diversity of the waves' beats: 2/3 (Fierce/and gentle - Noisy/and quiet); 3/1/1 (I think about/you/I); 3/2 (I think about/the vast sea - From where do/waves rise)
• Symmetrical couplets appear continuously, where each sentence links to the next, resembling waves crashing onto the shore, waves following waves in an undulating flow: fierce and gentle - noisy and quiet, waves beneath the depths – waves on the surface, whether flowing north – whether going south.

Through this, we see the poem as a song that still echoes with the entrancing melodies of love in the hearts of those who are in love. Xuân Quỳnh has passionately lived, loved wholeheartedly, and yearned sincerely in her lines of love poetry full of longing and tenderness.

Question 2 (page 15 of the Literature textbook, Grade 11, Volume 1): The dominating and recurring image in the poem is that of the "wave", represented in various forms. Identify these representations.

Answer:

- Waves – the essence and laws of a woman's love:

• Waves possess contradictory traits: fierce – gentle, noisy – quiet, which are also characteristics of a woman in love (intense yet serene).
• Waves are not content living in a confined place, "not understanding themselves", always yearning for, and determined to "seek out the vast ocean" – symbolizing the woman's quest for an ultimate, perfect love.
• Over time, whether "past – or future", waves remain constant, ever yearning for the boundless space.
• Just like waves, the heart of youth always yearns for intense love, "fluttering within", a timeless rule.

- Waves – the contemplation of the origin of love:

• Xuân Quỳnh searches for the source of waves, asking "Where do waves come from?" while also showing her internal turmoil, a desire to explore herself, her lover, and love itself ("I", "you", "the vast sea").
• The poetess asks and answers her own questions through the laws of nature: "Waves start from the wind..." but the origin of waves, like the origin of love, remains mysterious, impossible to explain.

- Waves – the longing and loyalty of a woman in love:

• The waves' yearning for the shore extends throughout space: "beneath the depths – on the surface", across time: "day – night". The personification of "not being able to sleep" emphasizes the yearning.
• Not only expressing longing indirectly through waves, the woman also directly conveys her longing: "my heart longs for you", the longing constantly present in her thoughts, deeply ingrained in her subconscious, even "awake in dreams".
• The artistic contrast of "towards – against", the repetition of "even though", "still", "to" suggests the journey of the waves in the vast sea, just as the woman's journey in love within life.
• The woman's faithful heart, her belief and waiting in love, always "directed towards you", thinking of "your direction" with all her heart.
• The inevitable rule of "hundreds of thousands of waves" is to reach the "shore", no matter how "far apart", just like a woman in love always directs her heart to the one she loves, seeking true love despite obstacles.

- Waves – the yearning for eternal love:

• Waves symbolize the woman's anxiety over her own insignificance before the vastness of life, the finiteness of love against the infinite time, the fragility of human hearts amidst life's changes.
• Hidden beneath the verses is a deep belief and hope in the power of love, just as clouds can traverse the vast sea: "Even though the sea is vast... it can fly far."
• Waves represent intense, enduring love: the yearning to "dissolve" into "hundreds of small waves", to live fully in the "vast sea of love", so that love remains eternal and immortal.

Question 3 (page 15 of the Literature textbook, Grade 11, Volume 1): Analyze the similarities between the feelings of a woman in love and the states of the waves in the poem.

Answer:

- Similarities between the states of "waves" and "me":

• The love of the waves yearns to reach the vast ocean, just like the heartbeat of the woman in love, full of longing and passion. Whether the wave is deep in the ocean or on the surface, both convey the profound and distant nature of human love.
• The restlessness, longing in the woman’s heart, akin to the waves’ yearning for the shore, is vividly portrayed through the waves' restlessness. Waves that do not sleep, or the woman staying awake, waves longing for the shore, just like her heart that beats wildly for him?
• The sea cannot exist without waves, just as human love is eternal. Despite separation, waves still seek the shore, just as she dedicates her entire life to him. The shore is the waves' destination, and he is the destination of her love.

- Observations: the two images constantly accompany and reflect each other, sometimes merging into one. The qualities of the waves mirror the mood of a woman in love. These two symbols complement each other, creating an artistic harmony to fully express the world of the woman's feelings in love. Her soul looks at the waves to understand her own heart, and through the waves, her emotions in love are revealed.

Question 4 (page 15 of the Literature textbook, Grade 11, Volume 1): Identify and analyze the effects of some rhetorical devices in the poem.

Answer:

• Opposition and personification (stanza 1): "Fierce and gentle... Waves search the vast sea" – using the image of waves to depict the soul of a woman in love, similar to the waves themselves.
• The repeated structure "the wave" (stanza 5) – The repetition creates a refrain in this love song, with haunting melodies, akin to the constant reminder of love and longing. The three lines are tied to the image of waves, like waves continuously rolling in.
• Metaphor "young chest" (the final two lines) – In the woman’s thoughts, the ocean resembles the strong, youthful chest of the earth, and waves are like the rhythmic beating of a heart full of passionate love for the sea. The word "young" brings to mind the eternal, powerful waves that make the ocean eternally youthful. Likewise, love brings vitality, strength, and youthful energy to humans.

Question 5 (page 15 of the Literature textbook, Grade 11, Volume 1): Share your thoughts on the soul of a woman in love as portrayed in the poem "Waves".

Answer:

The poem beautifully captures the spirit of a woman in love: sincere, passionate, intense, faithful, pure, and noble. At the same time, it represents the traditional beauty of a Vietnamese woman's love, alongside the bold, proactive approach to love found in modern Vietnamese women.

Question 6 (page 15 of the Literature textbook, Grade 11, Volume 1): How is the image of the woman in the poem "Waves" similar to and different from the women in folk songs and classical literature that you know?

Answer:

• Similarities: The woman in the poem shares the same traditional beauty in love as women in folk songs and classical literature, expressing feelings of kindness, yearning for love, and a desire for a high, noble love.
• Differences: The woman in "Waves" expresses her personal identity in love with a modern, strong, and bold approach, asserting an unbreakable belief in love and expressing her heartfelt desire to live fully for love.

Question 7 (page 15 of the Literature textbook, Grade 11, Volume 1): In modern Vietnamese literature, many poems use the image of "waves" and "sea" to symbolize love. Collect some of these poems and compare them to "Waves" to highlight the unique creativity of poet Xuân Quỳnh.

Answer:

- Some poems using "waves" and "sea" to express love:

• Poem "Sea Waves" (Quốc Phương):

The silver waves...yet still young

For eternity...always yearning, strong

Out in the sea…waves will never cease

Forget not love...still reach for the shore

And so it is...waves sing their song

A love song...yearning for affection

Out in the sea...vast and eternal

The heart of the sea...restless at night

And so it is...morning full of fate

Waves rise high...afraid of lost love

Embrace with all...not knowing what's enough

Endlessly...from dawn to dusk

The shore awaits...offering all its care

Even if forever...waves may wander

From dawn till nightfall

The shore with waves...forever the same.

• Poem "The Story of Love between Sea and Waves" (Trần Ngọc Tuấn):

Once upon a time, the sea and waves loved each other,

It’s said the sea was the waves’ first love.

The waves crash onto the shore, hot and wild,

The sea hums a song of love forevermore.

Once the waves wandered afar,

Many came to profess their love to the sea.

The sea feared the waves would not return,

So it made promises to the moonlight.

The waves returned, and the sea was repentant,

The waves did not owe the sea anything.

Love is beautiful when there's no deceit,

And from that moment, no return was made.

Once you told me,

Our love was never simple,

I'm the adventurer, you're the romantic,

And time was but a fleeting date.

The waves turn grey from then on, right?

But the sea remains forever mysterious.

Not quite, my dear, the sea remains loyal,

Even when waves grow old, they stay devoted.

Come with me, through the endless ocean,

Listen to the old stories of the distant past.

Though not our first love, pure as the moon,

Let’s believe in your heart, just like the sea's eternal story!

By comparing various poems that use the "waves" and "sea" to symbolize love, we can clearly see the distinctive creativity of Xuân Quỳnh in her poem "Waves": the rhythm naturally forms the wave-like imagery, fitting the emotional tone of a woman in love; Xuân Quỳnh’s poetry openly expresses her desires, her passion, and the deep contemplation of love's meaning.

*After reading

Question 1, Page 15, Literature 11, Volume 1: What are your thoughts on the rhythm and melody of the poem? What elements contribute to these rhythms and melodies?

Answer:

The melody and rhythm of the poem are restless and lively, created by the following elements:

• Short five-character lines.
• Rhythms that alternate between smooth and abrupt.
• Varied, flexible rhymes, including both end rhymes and internal rhymes, evoking the image of waves crashing one after another.

Question 2, Page 15, Literature 11, Volume 1: The dominant image throughout the poem is the “wave,” depicted in various forms. What are those forms?

Answer:

- The manifestations of the “wave”:

• In stanzas 1 and 2, “waves” are placed in contrasting states: fierce – gentle, noisy – silent, symbolizing the emotional states of love.
• The journey of the wave represents the longing to reach something vast and sublime – the ocean.

- The eternal human desire for love’s conquest.

• In stanzas 3 and 4, the “wave” represents the poet's realization of love—love that mirrors the vastness of the sea and life. The poet asks questions about the origin of the waves and love, yet feels powerless to find an answer.
• In stanzas 5 and 6: The longing in love is described with unique, interesting comparisons: The longing of a girl in love: restless when sleeping, awake, intense, and passionate.
• Within this passionate longing, the poet conveys absolute loyalty and unwavering belief in love – that love, like life, will reach a joyful end.
• Stanza 8: The poet expresses anxiety, a deep desire for present happiness, the awareness of life’s brevity, and the fragile, yet enduring nature of love.
• Stanza 9: The desire to merge with the vast sea, love, and life. The yearning to live fully for love, with sacrifice and devotion.

Question 3, Page 15, Literature 11, Volume 1: There are similarities between the feelings of a woman in love and the states of the waves. Analyze these similarities and discuss the relationship between the “wave” and “you” in the poem.

Answer:

a. Similarities include:

- Nature and desires:

• The wave does not accept the narrow “river,” it cannot understand itself, and thus resolutely seeks the vast ocean, to be true to itself.
• You are also searching for love, to be understood, to be true to yourself. The wave’s essence remains unchanged, from the “past” to the “future.” This is also your eternal desire: to live in love with all your youth.

- Your feelings about the wave, about love:

• Facing “the vast sea of waves,” you have reflections and aspirations to understand yourself, your love, and “the vast ocean” of love.
• You ponder the origin of the “wave,” then conclude that the origin of the wave, the beginning of love, remains mysterious.

- Longing and loyalty:

• The “wave” longs for the shore: a longing that encompasses both space (deep within and on the surface) and time (day and night), and even causes sleeplessness.
• The “wave longing for the shore” is like “you” longing for “him,” your longing also fills space and time, constantly present in your subconscious, in your thoughts, “even in dreams while awake.”

- The desire for eternal love: The wave symbolizes intense, everlasting love. Thus, “you” yearn to “break into a hundred smaller waves” to live fully in the “ocean of love,” for love to be eternal. This is also your longing to give and sacrifice for everlasting love.

b. The relationship between the “wave” and “you”:

- The wave and “you” share a parallel relationship, with the wave symbolizing the emotional state of the woman in love.

• “Wave” is a real entity with opposing qualities: “fierce” – “gentle,” “noisy” – “silent.” Deep within the image of the “wave” lies the image of “you,” whose nature mirrors the wave’s emotional state in love.

- The wave and “you” are sometimes in harmony, sometimes separate.

• Although the “wave” and “you” are two, they are one, sometimes separated, sometimes together, representing the emotional state of a woman in love.

Question 4, Page 15, Literature 11, Volume 1: Identify and analyze the effects of some stylistic devices in the poem.

Answer:

• Personification: “The river cannot understand itself”; “The wave seeks the vast ocean”; “The wave longs for the shore.” Effect: Personifying the state of the wave as human emotion helps express the poet’s emotional state, the longing of “you,” the woman in love, while also making the lines more vivid and engaging for the reader.
• Rhetorical questions: “Where do waves come from?”; “Where does the wind begin?” Effect: These questions emphasize the desire to trace the origin of love, to understand love, to comprehend oneself and the person one loves, while making the lines more dynamic and engaging for the reader.
• Repetition: “Whether going north, whether going south.” Effect: This repetition emphasizes that no matter the obstacles or distance, the woman remains loyal and steadfast in her love. It also adds rhythm and cohesion to the lines, making them more impactful for the reader.

Question 5, Page 15, Literature 11, Volume 1: What are your feelings about the soul of the woman in love through the poem “Waves”?

Answer: The soul of a woman in love:

• Her soul is passionate, strong, and eager for love.
• She understands and remains faithful to love.
• Her soul is direct and honest in expressing love, while still being feminine and devoted.

→ Her soul displays qualities of being both fiery and gentle. A heart that constantly yearns for love, but also experiences worry and contemplation. She embodies both traditional and modern beauty.

Question 6, Page 15, Literature 11, Volume 1: How does the woman in the poem “Waves” compare to women in traditional folk poetry and classical literature that you know?

Answer:

a. Similarities: Both express the traditional beauty of Vietnamese women: longing in love; loyalty and faithfulness in love; gentleness, grace, and femininity in love.

b. Differences:

• In folk poetry and classical literature: Women of the past did not dare to openly express their feelings; instead, they conveyed their emotions through objects like scarves, lamps, and eyes…

“The scarf misses someone,”

The scarf falls to the ground.

The scarf misses someone,”

The scarf is draped over the shoulder.

The scarf misses someone,”

The scarf wipes away tears.

The lamp misses someone,”

The lamp never goes out.

The eyes miss someone,”

The eyes can’t rest.

• In the poem “Waves”: The woman in love directly expresses her longing; the intensity and boldness in love; love merging with the vast sea of life.

→ Unlike women of the past, the woman in Xuân Quỳnh’s poem, like the wave, is proactive and bold in love. She no longer endures in silence, but seeks happiness on her own terms. She is decisive, confident, and determined on her journey to find true happiness.

Question 7, Page 15, Literature 11, Volume 1: In literature, many poems use the images of “waves” and “sea” to describe love. Please collect some of these poems and compare them with the poem “Waves” to see the creativity of Xuân Quỳnh.

Answer:

- Some poems:

• The Sea (Xuân Diệu).
• The Song of the Soldier by the Sea (Trần Đăng Khoa).
• The Love Story of the Sea and the Wave (Trần Ngọc Tuấn).
• The Sea, Mountains, You, and the Waves (Đỗ Trung Quân).

- Differences:

• In most poems with the imagery of “waves” and “sea” to describe love, it is usually the man speaking to the woman, expressing his emotions. In Xuân Quỳnh’s poem, it is the woman’s emotions, longing for the one she loves.

→ This shows that love doesn’t always have to be initiated by men; women can also actively pursue their own happiness.

• Metaphoric imagery: In other poems, the “wave” represents the man – a life full of adventure, seeking freedom, and lofty desires, while the “sea” symbolizes the woman, with her loyalty and gentleness. In Xuân Quỳnh’s poem, however, the roles are reversed. The woman is the wave, reaching out from the river to the sea in search of freedom, happiness, and love, while the man is the sea, symbolizing eternal love and lasting happiness.

→ This highlights the active role women can take in love, seeking fulfillment and breaking free from the confines of a small world to reach their desires for happiness.

1. Preparation

Requirements (page 13 of Literature textbook, Grade 11, Volume 1):

- Recall the knowledge of poetry you have studied to apply it in understanding the text.

- When analyzing a poem, pay attention to the following:

• Identify the topic, theme, the lyrical character, and lyrical content... (Who is speaking? Who are they speaking to? What is the message?)
• Recognize and analyze the role of formal elements such as title, poetic form, rhyme, rhythm, imagery, language, and artistic techniques in conveying the content.
• Understand the message the poem conveys and its significance for today's life.

- Read the poem "Sóng" beforehand; research information about poet Xuân Quỳnh.

Response:

- Poem analysis:

• Topic: love.
• Theme: using the metaphor of waves to express human love.
• Lyrical character: a young woman in love, representing the lyrical voice.
• Poetic form: five-character verse.
• Rhythm of the poem "Sóng": the verses have flexible breaks, imitating the diversity of wave rhythms: 2/3; 3/1/1; 3/2.
• Artistic techniques: repetition, contrast, metaphor.
• The poem's message: Despite turbulent love experiences, remain strong and hopeful as Xuân Quỳnh did to reach the shores of love.

- Poet Xuân Quỳnh: (1942 – 1988) real name: Nguyễn Thị Xuân Quỳnh.

• From La Khê village, Hà Đông district, now part of Hà Đông, Hanoi. She was one of Vietnam's most famous female poets, known for many significant works loved by readers.
• Xuân Quỳnh is considered one of the prominent female poets, with works such as "Thuyền và Biển", "Sóng", "Tiếng gà trưa", "Thơ tình cuối mùa thu", etc.
• The poet was awarded the State Prize and Hồ Chí Minh Prize for her significant contributions to Vietnamese literature.

- Context of the poem "Sóng": written in 1967 during a trip to Diêm Điền beach. Before writing "Sóng", Xuân Quỳnh had gone through heartbreak in love. This poem is a representation of her poetic soul and style. It was included in the collection "Hoa dọc chiến hào" (1968).

- Rhythm of "Sóng": flexible verse breaks, mimicking the varying rhythms of waves: 2/3; 3/1/1; 3/2.

2. Comprehension

* Main content: The poem speaks of a woman’s deep, passionate, loyal love, longing to overcome the challenges of time and human limitations. It emphasizes that love is a noble feeling and a great human happiness.

* Answer the questions in the middle of the text:

Question 1 (page 14, Literature textbook, Grade 11, Volume 1): Note the opposing states of the waves and the reason why waves move from rivers to the sea.

Answer:

• Contradictory states of the waves: noisy – calm, violent – gentle.
• Reason why waves move from rivers to the sea: a desire to reach far, to escape from confined, small, and trivial spaces.

Question 2 (page 14, Literature textbook, Grade 11, Volume 1): What does the wave metaphor suggest about love?

Answer: The wave metaphor suggests that love is a longing to find the source of love, to understand love, to comprehend oneself and the person one loves.

Question 3 (page 14, Literature textbook, Grade 11, Volume 1): What is the effect of the repetition figure of speech (repetition of words and syntactical structures) in the poem?

Answer: It emphasizes that despite any obstacles, the woman remains devoted and loyal to her love. It also creates a rhythm in the verses, linking them and leaving a strong impression on the reader.

Question 4 (page 15, Literature textbook, Grade 11, Volume 1): What is the woman's desire in love?

Answer: The woman's desire in love is to merge into life, to live in the "vast sea of love" with eternal, undying love, transcending time.

I. Author of the Poem 'Waves'

- Name: Xuân Quỳnh (1942-1988).

- Place of birth: Hà Tây, now part of Hà Nội.

- Literary and resistance career.

• Xuân Quỳnh grew up in a civil servant family, orphaned at a young age, and was raised by her grandmother.
• Xuân Quỳnh was once a dancer for the Central Folk Art Troupe, an editor at the Tác phẩm mới Publishing House, and a member of the Vietnam Writers' Association's third term Central Committee.
• She was among the most prominent poets of the younger generation who emerged during the resistance against American imperialism.
• In 2007, Xuân Quỳnh was awarded the Hồ Chí Minh Prize for Literature and Art.

- Major works: Tơ tằm – Chồi biếc (jointly published), Hoa dọc chiến hào, Gió Lào cát trắng, Lời ru trên mặt đất, Tự hát, Hoa cỏ may, Bầu trời trong quả trứng, Truyện thơ Truyện Lưu Nguyễn.

- Artistic style: Xuân Quỳnh’s poetry is the voice of a woman with a deep emotional soul, both innocent and bright, sincere, tender, and always full of longing for simple, everyday happiness.

II. Analysis of the Poem 'Waves'

1. Genre:

'Waves' is a poem with five-line stanzas.

2. Origin and context of composition:

• 'Waves' was written in 1967 during a trip to the Diêm Điền coastal region in Thái Bình, and is a standout piece on love, reflecting Xuân Quỳnh’s characteristic poetic style.
• The poem was published in the collection 'Hoa dọc chiến hào'.

3. Mode of expression:

The poem is expressed through emotional language.

4. Meaning of the title:

'Waves' symbolizes the emotional state of a young woman in love, representing a transformation, a duality between the speaker and the waves. The two images are at times separate, reflecting each other, and at other times merge to create a harmonious resonance.

5. Structure of the poem:

The poem 'Waves' is divided into four sections:

• Part 1 (the first two stanzas): Reflects on love through the metaphor of waves.
• Part 2 (next two stanzas): Delves into the origins and nature of love.
• Part 3 (the next three stanzas): Explores longing and devotion in love.
• Part 4 (remaining verses): Expresses the desire for eternal, undying love.

6. Content value:

• The poem explores the various facets of love through the metaphor of waves, conveying emotions such as longing, loyalty, obstacles, and a yearning for eternal love from a woman’s pure, sincere heart.

7. Artistic value:

• The paired imagery of waves allows the poet to express complex emotions in love.
• The five-line verse structure with flexible pauses perfectly captures the varied emotional intensity of the poem.
• The language is simple, clear, and elegant, conveying deep emotions with delicacy.

In-depth Analysis of the Poem 'Waves'

1. Understanding Love through the Metaphor of Waves

• Contrast: fierce – gentle, loud – silent.

→ The various shades and intensities of waves mirror the complex emotions of love, representing the contradictory, paradoxical states that a woman experiences when in love.

• Implicit imagery, personification: "The river doesn't understand itself / Waves reach the sea": the longing to break free, to escape narrow, mundane confines.

→ A fresh perspective on love: love is self-awareness, a reach towards something vast and far-reaching.

• Simile, analogy: "Oh, the waves of old ... Stirring in the young heart": A statement confirming the burning, intense desire for love that constantly resides in the heart of youth.

2. Contemplations and Struggles about the Origins and Laws of Love

• Frequent use of rhetorical questions like "Where do waves come from?", "Where does the wind start?": expressing the longing to trace the origins of love, to understand it, to comprehend oneself and the one being loved.
• The response "I don’t know either": A sincere, innocent confession from the woman, highlighting the mysterious nature of love and the difficulties in explaining the emotional states within it.

3. Longing, Faithfulness, and Loyalty in a Woman’s Love

- Longing is the dominant emotion, always present in the hearts of those in love.

• The yearning pervades space and time: "beneath the deep... on the surface...", "day and night without rest".

→ The longing is profound and deep.

• Present in both conscious and subconscious: "My heart remembers you / Even in dreams, I'm awake".

→ The exaggeration emphasizes the intense longing the author feels.

• Personification, becoming one with the waves, allows "I" to express my burning desire and longing.

- The unwavering faithfulness of a woman in love:

• "I": From the North to the South – "Heading towards you, wherever you are".

→ A promise of absolute loyalty.

• "Waves": across the vast ocean – "No wave fails to reach the shore".

→ The inevitable law of nature.

• Loyalty is the strength that helps love overcome all obstacles, trials, and reach the shores of happiness.

→ An affirmation of the self, a person who believes steadfastly in love.

4. The Desire for Eternal, Unyielding Love

• The poet’s sensitivity and concern about life, facing the passage of time: "Though life is long ... Clouds still drift away".
• "How" expresses the yearning, the desire to become "hundreds of little waves" forever lapping the shore.
• The woman’s longing is to merge with life, to live in the "great ocean of love" with eternal, undying love that defies time.