Top 10 Best Essays Analyzing the Poem 'The Sound of Autumn' by Luu Trong Lu (Literature 10)

'The Sound of Autumn' by Luu Trong Lu is one of his notable works that explores the theme of autumn. His poetry is often characterized by its simplicity and lack of excessive embellishment, which gives it an authentic and heartfelt tone. For those with a sensitive soul and a love for poetry, it’s easy to imagine the contemplative emotions of the poet. The poem was later adapted into a song by composer Pham Duy, also called 'The Sound of Autumn.'

'The Sound of Autumn' is considered one of Luu Trong Lu's finest contributions to literature. Poet Tran Dang Khoa even described it as the most 'poetic' of the Vietnamese poetry of its time. Reading this work, one can feel the depth and value it holds.

The poem paints a vivid emotional picture, where autumn is not just a season but a reflection of the poet's inner turmoil. The lyrical persona is not explicitly present, but referred to as 'you,' a figure of love and longing whom the poet addresses.

'Don't you hear the autumn sound?

Under the dim moonlight, beating?'

The lines by Luu Trong Lu are imbued with a melancholic and yearning tone. Is it that 'you' cannot hear the voice of autumn, or that the sounds themselves are beyond hearing? Regardless of interpretation, the verse conveys a profound sense of sadness and separation. The autumn imagery, especially evoking a moonlit night, encapsulates the emotional state of the lyrical persona. It’s this very imagery that led the poet to use the word 'beating' to describe the sound of autumn.

The moon is not just a lifeless object in the sky; it contains the emotions of those who are deeply in love. Yet, what stands out is the separation from a loved one, which evokes pain and makes one feel as though tears might fall.

This sense of separation is at the core of 'The Sound of Autumn,' with a yearning that seems about to overflow. Though expressed as a series of questions, these verses seem to be the poet’s way of speaking to himself: 'Is it because the autumn sound goes unheard, that I cannot feel the excitement of its arrival?'

The word 'excitement' used by the poet evokes images of intense emotions and passionate connections. It also suggests the deep bond between spouses, and how such connections make the pain of parting even more profound.

'Don't you hear the excitement?

The image of the soldier

In the heart of the abandoned wife?'

This evokes the constant, restless waiting of the wife, longing for news from her husband away at war, in a distant land full of danger. It is not just love, but the torment of separation and the pain of love that cannot be fulfilled. These lines remind us of the figures of the soldier and his waiting wife in the Vietnamese epic 'Chinh Phu Ngam Khuc' by Doan Thi Diem.

'The Sound of Autumn' also paints a scene of withered autumn leaves drifting away with the wind, leaving behind only barren trees. The question echoes with a sense of loss. The autumn of falling leaves is the season that stirs unspoken feelings of longing.

'Don't you hear the autumn forest?

The rustling autumn leaves

The lost fawn, confused,

Stepping on the dry yellow leaves?'

As the poem progresses, the sound of rustling leaves takes on a metaphorical significance, reflecting the inner emotions and thoughts of the lyrical persona. Sensitive to even the slightest sound, the poet becomes consumed by his feelings. At the poem's conclusion, Luu Trong Lu introduces the image of the fawn as a symbol of pure love, confirming the enduring nature of love despite all challenges and limits.

'The Sound of Autumn' not only evokes a beautifully melancholic autumn landscape but also provides an insight into the poet’s soul. It reflects the enduring nature of human emotion, especially in love, even when faced with separation and hardship. Through this poem, Luu Trong Lu affirms the sacred and powerful force of love.

In both ancient and modern literature, the image of autumn frequently appears in the emotional landscapes of many writers and poets. Autumn often evokes feelings of melancholy, loss, and separation. It’s a well-trodden subject, explored by numerous renowned literary figures. Yet, despite its familiarity and success, poet Luu Trong Lu approached the theme of autumn differently. Rather than following the conventional paths paved by past poets, he chose a fresh, delicate perspective, bringing something new and innovative to his poem 'The Sound of Autumn.'

Luu Trong Lu was a pioneering figure in Vietnam's New Poetry movement. His poetry doesn’t rely on elaborate flourishes; rather, its beauty comes from its simplicity and the ordinary materials the poet uses to create it.

The imagery in Luu Trong Lu’s poems is often simple and familiar, yet evocative. His works are straightforward, yet full of meaning and vivid imagery. 'The Sound of Autumn' not only paints a poetic autumn landscape, but also reflects the emotional world of a longing, deeply moved lyrical persona. From the very start of the poem, the character expresses heartfelt, earnest emotions:

'Don’t you hear the autumn sound?

Under the dim moonlight, beating?'

This line feels both like a self-questioning and a gentle reproach from the lyrical character towards the one they love. In love, couples often desire private moments of happiness, to share the beauty of life’s changes together. But here, though autumn arrives, the lovers are separated, each in a different place. The geographical distance inadvertently creates an emotional distance, causing the poet to wonder, 'Don’t you hear the autumn sound?'

The poet seems to be overflowing with emotions of love, yet still unsure, asserting that the girl cannot 'hear' the autumn, meaning she cannot feel his sincere love for her.

Autumn often invokes a sense of sadness, a sadness tinged with the fading of the landscape. In such a space, the separation of lovers only deepens the longing.

'Under the dim moonlight, beating,' the poet suggests that the girl cannot feel the subtle shift in the world around her, nor the sorrowful melancholy of the moonlight. What’s remarkable here is that the poet imbues the lifeless moon with the colors of human senses, allowing it to resonate with the same sorrow the poet feels.

'Don’t you hear the excitement?

The image of the soldier

In the heart of the abandoned wife?'

Passion and longing are emotions often associated with love. However, for these feelings to thrive, lovers must be close to each other. In this poem, Luu Trong Lu speaks of the longing and intensity within the emotional state of the lyrical character.

But this excitement is entirely one-sided. The girl cannot feel it. The repetition of 'Don’t you hear' underscores the surging emotions, as the poet brings to mind the image of the soldier and his waiting wife.

Through this imagery, readers may recall the separated couple from 'Chinh Phu Ngam' by Doan Thi Diem. The soldier is far away, fighting in distant, dangerous lands, while his wife anxiously waits for any word from him. The excitement here is the burning desire and anxious longing that never fades.

The warzone is full of peril, where danger could strike at any moment, which makes the wife's anticipation and worry even more intense. Here, Luu Trong Lu borrows these images to emphasize the poet’s own yearning for the girl. It’s a longing that burns, relentless and full of yearning.

'Don’t you hear the autumn forest?

The rustling autumn leaves?'

The repetition of 'Don’t you hear' for the third time intensifies the sense of overflow, like emotions spilling onto the paper. From the beginning of the poem, the lyrical persona assumes that the girl cannot hear the changes in the world around her, or perhaps more accurately, she cannot grasp the ongoing emotional turmoil of the poet.

And it’s not that the girl is intentionally oblivious; the physical separation means she cannot hear or fully understand the poet’s emotions. 'Don’t you hear the autumn forest?' evokes a sense of the forest in autumn, a place of life and decay, which mirrors the inner emotional landscape of the poet.

In this autumn forest, the rustling of the leaves becomes an audible manifestation of the poet's emotions. These sounds echo the turmoil and emotional complexity of the poet’s heart. The poet’s inner world, rich in sensitivity and awareness, sharpens with every subtle shift in sound.

These sounds—these delicate, chaotic noises—are created by the girl, the poet’s beloved. The emotions are not just love, but also a trace of frustration, reproach. It’s this blend of emotions that defines true love, emotions that can only exist when love is deeply rooted in the soul.

From start to finish, the poem is a monologue of the poet's emotions directed inwardly, expressed through moments of reproach, frustration, and longing. The girl is absent, unable to appear, making the poet's heartfelt words even more poignant for the reader.

This love is intense, pure, and beautiful. It is beautiful because it is powerful enough to make the poet steadfast, to fight for this love. Even though it comes with painful wounds, the poet remains committed to it. This declaration of love is encapsulated in the final two lines of the poem:

'The golden deer, bewildered,

Stepping on the dry yellow leaves.'

In these final lines, the reader might feel a sense of doubt, wondering why the golden deer, seemingly out of place, appears. Throughout the poem, the imagery has evoked a sense of emptiness and longing, but now the deer brings vibrancy and color to the scene.

It also brightens the emotional landscape, as the golden deer represents the purity, innocence, and confusion of true love. Despite any obstacles, despite all the separation, this love is strong enough to endure, stepping over 'the dry yellow leaves.'

Thus, 'The Sound of Autumn' is not only a depiction of autumn’s melancholic beauty but also a vibrant, emotional portrait of the lyrical persona. The emotional journey depicted in the poem resonates deeply with the reader, as the emotions, once restrained, gradually intensify. When love reaches its fullest expression, it rises above all obstacles, becoming eternal.

Luu Trong Lu is a prominent poet, also known as the founder of Vietnam's New Poetry movement. His poetry is not known for its linguistic refinement or flowing lines, yet it conveys genuine emotions with striking simplicity.

'Don’t you hear the autumn sound?'

'Under the dim moonlight, trembling'

'Don’t you feel the excitement?'

The key figure here is 'you'—the poet asks, 'Don’t you hear the autumn or feel the excitement?' These rhetorical questions express a dual inquiry—both directed at the beloved and at himself. Why can’t she sense this deep longing and yearning that stretches across the distance to the faraway battlefield? The separation between the home front and the frontlines intensifies the emotions of love, sometimes feeling near, sometimes impossibly distant.

Distance is felt when he yearns and she remains unaware, when even though she might know, she chooses to ignore his longing. The full moon, once a symbol of purity and eternal love, now fails to spark any memories in her. Or perhaps she doesn’t feel the excitement that autumn, the season of love and promises, should bring.

In 'The Sound of Autumn', Luu Trong Lu uses the autumn scenery and its unique atmosphere to express a vivid and heartfelt emotional landscape—one of sadness, longing, and a subtle sense of yearning from the lyrical character.

Thus, Luu Trong Lu’s 'The Sound of Autumn' not only paints a beautiful yet bittersweet autumn scene, but also illuminates the inner turmoil of the lyrical persona. This person is deeply in love, constantly weighed down by unfulfilled longing and emotions that, despite the distance and miscommunication, transcend obstacles and affirm the sacred, profound nature of love.

Like a sudden pause in Luu Trong Lu's poetic journey, 'The Sound of Autumn' echoes with the haunting reverberations of a distant, long-lost time. How long will this sound linger?

'Don’t you hear the autumn?'

'Under the dim moonlight, trembling?'

'Don’t you feel the excitement?'

'The image of the chinh phụ'

'In the heart of the lonely woman?'

'Don’t you hear the autumn forest?'

'The autumn leaves rustle softly.'

'A golden deer, bewildered'

'Treading on dry, golden leaves.'

Through a masterful use of negation and rhetorical questioning, the poem 'The Sound of Autumn' achieves its full brilliance, steeped in the essence of early Romanticism. Poet Nguyen Vy once wrote: 'Luu Trong Lu entered the world of Vietnamese poetry with a carefree step, a gaze full of wonder, a distant smile, and a freshly printed copy of his novella, 'The Hermit.' A novella?

In fact, it wasn’t exactly a novella. The title 'The Hermit' might not fully capture the essence—it could be called a poem, perhaps 'The Poet' instead. Luu Trong Lu didn’t even know he was a poet. He was oblivious to his own identity... Isn’t that adorable?'

Critic Hoai Thanh, in 'The Poets of Vietnam,' noted: 'In this world, few are as absent-minded as Luu. The poets of today are clever, sometimes even sly. But those who love poetry, it’s often better not to know the poet personally. It’s a disadvantage to both sides. Those who love Luu’s poetry but know him are harmless, for Luu’s life itself is a poem. If, as people say, a poet is someone who stumbles along, clueless, in life, then perhaps no one embodies this more than Luu.'

Perhaps that’s why, when discussing 'The Sound of Autumn,' although it is known that Luu’s poem was influenced by a Japanese work, Nguyen Vy still insists that Luu’s poetry carries a stronger, more poetic essence, beyond the mere descriptive nature of the ancient Japanese poem. He wrote: 'Luu Trong Lu is a figure suspended in time. His heart floats gently in the blue sky like a paper kite, tethered to the earth by a delicate thread, fluttering in the wind, drifting through the clouds. That’s why his poetry carries a trace of autumn, the cool sunlight of late summer, the mist of the evening, a drifting boat, a feeling of melancholy, and the soft rustling of a golden deer treading on dry autumn leaves...'

The contrast is evident when we examine the repeated phrase 'Don’t you hear?' used as the primary motif to develop the emotional depth of the poem. The first two uses of 'Don’t you hear?' in the opening stanzas, along with the images of 'dim moonlight,' 'chinh phụ,' and 'the lonely woman,' evoke the classical loneliness found in 'Chinh Phu Ngam.'

This makes us recall the lines 'The face of the chinh phụ illuminated by the moonlight.' Here, the sound of autumn is discovered as the faint sigh of solitude. The rhetorical question directs the reader to listen, drawing attention to the loneliness without the poet explicitly providing an answer.

From the dim, trembling moonlight, evoking the yearning of the lonely wife in her dark, damp room, the final 'Don’t you hear?' draws the reader towards a profound, ultimate solitude. In the final stanza, after personifying the rustling of the autumn leaves, the poet creates a striking image of the golden leaves trembling like a human voice.

This is the innovative approach of the New Poetry movement, where Luu Trong Lu's use of the word 'rustling' elevates the poem to a higher realm, reaching perfection. The last two lines, shaped by the adjective 'golden,' create a dual layer of 'gold' that overlap:

'A golden deer, bewildered'

'Treading on dry, golden leaves?'

Two shades of gold: 'bewildered gold' and 'dry gold'—blend together, reminiscent of Nguyen Gia Thieu's 'The scent of cinnamon and the faint golden breeze' and Nguyen Du's 'The golden well, its leaves fallen.' This dual imagery deepens the reader’s empathy with the poet’s soul. A unique shift in meaning brings the sound of autumn deep into us.

The sound of autumn, a sound of solitude, a wandering soul amidst a broken world, also hints at a societal change. A prophecy of a time of warfare, just like in the old days. Listen to the sound of autumn, and you will hear it.

Thanks to the strong musical quality of the poem, 'The Sound of Autumn' has been adapted into music by many composers from different eras. In the pre-war period, it was done by Vo Duc Thu Le Thuong. Nowadays, composers like Phan Huynh Dieu, Huu Xuan, and Hoang Phuc Thang have also created their own versions.

Listening to the song rendition of 'The Sound of Autumn' stirs a sense of emotion. But honestly, when you read it aloud yourself and imagine the golden leaves treading over each other, you realize that the perfection of the poem cannot be improved by anything else. It is as enchanting as autumn itself.'

Amidst the scorching heat of summer and the cold chill of winter, autumn’s cool and dreamy essence has long served as an endless source of inspiration for poets and writers throughout history. In poems like 'Autumn Reflection' and 'Here Comes the Autumn,' Nguyen Khuyen and Xuan Dieu have made significant contributions to Vietnamese literature, offering two exceptional poems on the beauty and feelings associated with autumn. In 'The Sound of Autumn,' Luu Trong Lu captures the autumn voice, securing a distinctive place for himself in the realm of autumn poets:

'Don’t you hear the autumn?'

'Under the dim moonlight, trembling?'

'Don’t you feel the excitement?'

'The image of the warrior'

'In the heart of the lonely wife?'

'Don’t you hear the autumn forest?'

'The autumn leaves rustling softly'

'A golden deer, bewildered'

'Treading on dry golden leaves?'

The theme of the autumn sound is first expressed by the poet through words. The word 'hear' appears three times at the start of each stanza. What do we hear? We hear the 'trembling' whispers beneath the dim autumn moon, we hear the 'throbbing' heart of a lonely wife whose husband is away at war, and we hear the soft rustling of autumn leaves falling in a quiet forest.

The theme of autumn is further enhanced by sound. The first and third stanzas feature two lines that exclusively use even tones: 'Don’t you hear the autumn forest?'

Before the August Revolution, while the traditional seven-character and eight-character poems reigned in literature, Luu Trong Lu innovated by freely composing five-character lines with entirely even tones to capture the sound of autumn. As we read these lines, supported by the round 'u' vowels frequently at the end of the lines, we can almost hear the gentle, resonant, and soothing sound of autumn created by the poet.

The syntax of the poem also contributes to the depiction of autumn’s sound. It’s no coincidence that each of the three stanzas ends with a question mark. Why does the poet repeatedly ask? Because the poet is unsure that the reader can truly hear the distant and elusive sound of autumn. 'You don’t hear it? Then quiet your mind and listen closely to the soft and dreamy autumn sound.'

The structure of the poem is also used by the poet to reflect the theme of autumn. Most traditional and modern poems are written in four-line stanzas, but in this poem, the number of lines in each stanza gradually increases. If each line is seen as a stanza, the first stanza has two lines, the second stanza has three lines, and the third stanza has four lines.

The poet’s intentional use of this structure serves to artistically express the flowing, expansive quality of the autumn sound. Moreover, the rhyme scheme, where the repetitive sounds of onomatopoeic words appear at the end of lines ('rustling' with 'bewildered'), links the lines and stanzas, enriching the musical quality of the poem and creating a continuous, seamless echo of autumn.

To fully appreciate Luu Trong Lu’s autumn melody, read 'The Sound of Autumn' continuously, pausing only for a moment at each question mark. Imagine someone throwing a small stone into the still waters of a quiet autumn lake. The ripples spread outward, endlessly. This is the sound of autumn, as created by Luu Trong Lu in the hearts of his readers.

The last two lines of 'The Sound of Autumn' vividly portray the image:

'A golden deer, bewildered'

'Treading on dry golden leaves?'

What do we hear when we see that image? Do we hear the sound of dry, golden leaves crumbling beneath the steps of a bewildered deer? The true sound of autumn, as Luu Trong Lu presents it, isn’t heard with the ears but imagined with the mind, resonating in the soul, whenever we see the leaves falling or clouds drifting in the sky...

In a few words, Luu Trong Lu’s autumn sound is silent. It’s the 'silence that triumphs over sound,' as the poet Bai Ju Yi once emphasized in the scene of moonlight reflecting on the Tiam Yang River.

With his keen poetic insight, Xuân Diệu, in 'Here Comes the Autumn,' captures this sound of autumn, feeling it when observing 'silent, sorrowful girls.' And with his sharp critic’s mind, Vũ Ngọc Phan, in 'Modern Writers,' recognized this autumn sound when analyzing Luu Trong Lu’s 'The Sound of Autumn.'

This autumn sound—does it only belong to autumn? While it originates in the autumn season, it has resonated through time and will continue to echo for generations. Anyone who has lived deeply in the world of thought, no matter the season—whether winter, spring, summer, or autumn—has experienced those 'autumn afternoons,' moments when sadness quietly creeps in, tempting and beguiling, as the golden autumn sound gently descends, soft and deep.'

The poet Luu Trong Lu, born in Quang Binh, spent much of his early years in Hue before moving to Hanoi in 1954. He is considered one of the pioneers of Vietnam's New Poetry movement. His poems are not adorned with excessive embellishments, yet they convey deep emotional authenticity. His words, seemingly simple, have a remarkable power to stir the hearts of readers.

'The Sound of Autumn' is a short poem, consisting of just nine lines, but it is undoubtedly the most famous work in Luu Trong Lu's career. Often described as the most 'poetic' poem in Vietnam, it is a piece that exists purely for the sake of poetry itself, free from any ulterior purpose or message. It is entirely romantic and emotional:

'Don’t you hear the autumn'

'Trembling beneath the dim moonlight?'

'Don’t you feel the thrill'

'Of the warrior’s image'

'In the heart of his waiting wife?'

'Don’t you hear the autumn forest'

'The leaves rustling softly'

'The golden deer, bewildered'

'Treading on dry golden leaves?'

Luu Trong Lu uses the unique imagery of autumn to convey a vivid, emotional reflection of the inner turmoil and longing that pervades the season. At first glance, the elements of the poem—autumn, the moon, the lonely wife, and the golden deer—appear disconnected, but when combined, they form a deeply stirring whole. The images blend together like brushstrokes on a canvas, creating an enchanting autumn scene that is at once distant and near, clear and elusive. It is a feeling that one can sense but cannot articulate clearly.

'The Sound of Autumn' represents the very essence of what Luu Trong Lu wishes to communicate: it is a poem about sound, but not just any sound—it is the sound of contemplation, of introspection, of the inner world of nature, people, and autumn itself. In other words, it is a portrayal of the deep, silent, yet passionate inner sounds of the world, of the soul of both nature and humanity, the living force within autumn.

In this poem, Luu Trong Lu incorporates all the familiar images and themes traditionally associated with autumn poetry. Yet he offers a fresh perspective by focusing on the sounds within these images, contrasting them with the usual tranquil, slow, and melancholic visual representations of autumn. He breathes new life into this timeless landscape, giving it a unique vitality that can only be found in 'The Sound of Autumn.'

It is important to note that the questions in the poem are not meant to be answered in a literal sense. Rather, they serve as a catalyst for the poet to express his thoughts, to interpret the human condition and the autumn landscape. Through these rhetorical questions, the poet embarks on a journey of discovery, sharing his insights about the world through 'The Sound of Autumn.'

The poem concludes with a striking image that encapsulates the entire structure of the work. The autumn forest, with its golden leaves scattered across the ground, creates a soft rustling sound, which stirs the bewildered golden deer. The contrast is clear, and the depiction of the deer’s movement is the focal point of the scene.

The golden deer, entirely 'unaware' and 'nonchalant' in the face of its surroundings, is portrayed through the words 'bewildered' and 'treading on dry golden leaves.' Its actions, along with the rustling of the leaves, break the stillness of the autumn forest, imbuing it with life and energy.

The harmony of nature is captured through the poet’s unique expression: 'treading on dry golden leaves.' From the deer’s confusion to the rustling leaves, the poet creates sounds in the reader’s mind, even though no sound is explicitly described. This is the magic of poetry. The final image, though it lacks any direct mention of sound, still creates a reverberating sound within the reader’s heart. This is the brilliance of Luu Trong Lu’s craft.

The poem is structured into two clear parts, with the central theme of the work residing in the last three lines of the first part. The rest of the poem and the second part merely serve to highlight and emphasize this core theme: the 'excitement' born from the longing of a wife waiting for her husband to return from war.

The wife’s longing and desire are the soul of the poem, the driving force that fuels the 'tremors' felt beneath the autumn moon.

Each section of the poem presents a different picture: one of human emotion, and the other of the natural world in the autumn forest. Each picture reflects a different law: one of life—of people—and one of nature. The natural world, symbolized by the autumn forest, reflects the cyclical transformation of nature according to the changing seasons and the weather.

This cycle repeats itself in harmony with the passage of time, with no consciousness or emotion on the part of the natural elements. Even the golden deer is 'bewildered,' not understanding why the leaves turn yellow and fall, creating a rustling sound. Thus, the transformation of nature, the earth, and the sky is a given, and the deer is a creature that shows no emotional response. It is 'bewildered' by nature’s indifference, or is it the poet—human—who is 'bewildered' by the deer’s calm, unconscious acceptance of it?

In contrast, the first picture, that of human emotion, reflects the rules of the soul, of love, of human relationships. This internal rule contrasts with the external, natural world, representing the highest and most noble aspect of humanity.

The unity of the poem is achieved through the shared imagery of the lonely wife and the lost golden deer, each isolated in their respective worlds. This symmetry ties together the two parts of the poem, creating a brilliant success both artistically and thematically.

Autumn is a beautiful and gentle season, the muse of countless Vietnamese poets. Luu Trong Lu's 'The Sound of Autumn' is an exceptionally remarkable poem, both in its imagery and the artistic techniques employed by the author. These qualities have been thoroughly analyzed by literary scholar Chu Van Son in his essay 'The Musical Harmony of Words.' Indeed, for Chu Van Son, the poem is not just a picture; it is a magnificent symphony of nature itself.

Chu Van Son is a modern Vietnamese literary critic and scholar, known for his elegant and insightful writing. His works reveal the core artistic elements and themes that authors seek to convey. 'The Musical Harmony of Words' in 'The Sound of Autumn' was published in his collection 'Poetry – The Rhythm of the Soul and Structure.' This essay reflects Chu Van Son's perception of the beauty of autumn as expressed in 'The Sound of Autumn.'

From the outset, Chu Van Son asserts that 'Autumn is the poetry of the earth and sky, and poetry is autumn within the human heart.' This poetic soul, this essence of autumn, is captured by Chu Van An and echoes in Luu Trong Lu's poem. The author perceives the beauty of autumn as Luu Trong Lu intended and relates it to the natural world in a way that seems inevitable and harmonious.

This autumn exudes a classical beauty, one that Chu Van Son identifies as the 'tranquility' of the ancient poets. He begins by highlighting the unique features of this style of poetry, where each word pulses with life. It is a mystery, an expression of the inner, burning emotions of the artist's soul.

According to Chu Van Son, 'The Sound of Autumn' is also a sound, but not in isolation—it is a blend of the natural world's sounds and the breath of humanity. He greatly admires the autumnal sounds that Luu Trong Lu captures. What were once simple, everyday sounds are transformed into beautiful, harmonious melodies.

Chu Van Son delves deeply into each small detail, every question in the poem. He emphasizes the melody, which he believes is the essence, the soul of the poem. This harmony is what captivates the reader, drawing them into the work’s deeper emotional experience.

Chu Van Son remarks that he does not care about the superficial appearance of a poem. What moves him, what resonates with him, and what lingers in the mind of readers, is the soul conveyed within the poem. He also praises the structure of the poem, particularly its division into three distinct thematic parts.

He is struck by the poem’s charm, especially in how it uses rhyme and rhythm. These elements help elevate the poem's intensity and drive its emotional climax. For those who appreciate poetry, the melody of rhyme forming a 'musical composition' is no easy feat. According to Chu Van Son, Luu Trong Lu has successfully accomplished this task.

The emotions of the characters in the poem are also highly valued by Chu Van Son. From the imagery to the inner feelings, 'The Sound of Autumn' provides both the reader and the critic with a rich array of beautiful emotions. Chu Van Son seems to have immersed himself into the autumn scene, becoming part of the painting, which allows him to analyze and fully understand the characters' emotions.

He compares Luu Trong Lu’s 'The Sound of Autumn' to another autumn poem by Nguyen Dinh Thi, both of which depict the beauty of nature, yet in completely different ways. They complement one another but cannot replace each other. Chu Van Son also brings attention to the rhythm and meter of the poem, highlighting how 'The Sound of Autumn' carries a musical quality. These nuances come together to create a perfectly harmonized symphony.

With his well-reasoned arguments, profound language, and unique perspective, Chu Van Son allows readers to see the beauty of 'The Sound of Autumn' beyond its surface. Even the subtle tones that often go unnoticed are given careful attention by this critic. It is a solo performance of words, which, as the title suggests, forms a musical symphony. Objectively, Chu Van Son regards 'The Sound of Autumn' as a magnificent musical harmony.

The beauty of a poem is not simply for reading; it must be felt and experienced. The phrases in 'The Musical Harmony of Words' are no less than a detailed essay, dissecting the unnoticed beauties of autumn. Chu Van Son’s artistic sensibilities are evident in his ability to immerse himself in the rhythms of autumn and uncover the hidden beauty within.

Luu Trong Lu is a pioneering poet of the New Poetry movement in Vietnam. The renowned literary critic Hoai Thanh once made an insightful remark about his poetic style: “I know some criticize Lu for being careless, lazy, not choosing words carefully, and not putting in the effort to refine his verses. But Lu doesn't really write poems; he lets the poems overflow onto the paper.” Lu left behind a significant body of work, among which the poem "The Sound of Autumn" stands out as one of his most iconic. Poet Nguyen Khoa Diem has praised it as one of the most poetic works in Vietnamese literature. This view has sparked some debate, but personally, I find it quite accurate. When reading "The Sound of Autumn," one can sense its timeless melancholy—a poignant sound from the distant past that still resonates today. Autumn seems to evoke deep emotions in the hearts of poets. For Luu Trong Lu, autumn stirred similar feelings. He chose a personal, quiet space to observe and reflect upon the season, his emotions swirling within him as he captured the essence of autumn in his writing. Critic and poet Tran Dang Khoa has called "The Sound of Autumn" not only the best poem of Lu's career but also the most quintessentially poetic piece of modern Vietnamese poetry. This assessment helps us understand the importance of the poem in Vietnamese literature. In "The Sound of Autumn," Luu Trong Lu uses the characteristic imagery of autumn to convey a vivid and emotionally charged portrayal of the speaker's inner state—a sense of sadness, longing, and emotional turmoil: "You don’t hear autumn’s sound, Under the pale moon, it stirs in sorrow." The speaker here is not directly present but rather communicates through heartfelt words directed at "you." In this context, "you" can be interpreted as a loved one, the person the speaker is confiding in with every word. "You don’t hear autumn’s sound"—this line is full of longing, yet also sadness and doubt. Is it that you can’t hear the autumn's voice, or is it that you choose not to? Regardless of interpretation, we sense the emotional distance between the speaker and the addressee. Autumn in literature often represents melancholy, a feeling of separation, and a fading of things—just as the season itself brings about fading landscapes and the withering of nature. In the indirect depiction of autumn's atmosphere, the moonlight also emerges as a symbol of quiet beauty, yet with an air of sadness. It’s not the usual radiant moonlight that brings joy; instead, it’s tinged with sorrow, as reflected in the line "Under the pale moon, it stirs in sorrow." This evokes the image of a quiet autumn night, where both the season and the moon seem to mourn. The melancholy tone of the speaker has even imbued the moon with a sense of sorrow. The poet’s use of the word "stirs" to describe the moon emphasizes that the moon is not just a celestial body but an embodiment of the speaker’s emotional state, a reflection of their sorrow. It no longer exists as a mere physical object but is infused with human-like feelings of longing, particularly the pain of separation from a loved one. The pale moonlight evokes the image of tear-filled eyes, the expression of someone in love who is suffering from the ache of missing someone, longing, and waiting for their return. The tears blur the vision, making everything seem faint and unclear. The opening lines evoke a sense of separation between two lovers who, despite their desire, cannot be together. In their minds, they are constantly thinking of one another. "You don’t hear the restlessness, The image of the soldier, In the heart of the soldier’s wife." As we follow the emotional stream of the speaker, we can feel the loneliness in their soul. Even though they may express feelings of frustration or reproach, it seems that these emotions are more like self-dialogue, a conversation with their own heart. The speaker laments that because the lover does not hear autumn’s voice, they cannot feel the same stirrings of emotion, the same deep yearning: "You don’t hear the restlessness." The word "restlessness" here refers to the excitement and passionate longing that accompany human happiness and desire. Luu Trong Lu compares this emotional restlessness to the figure of a chinh phu (a wife of a soldier), who feels the agony of waiting for news from her husband at the front. The intense love they share is marked by both deep affection and the unbearable pain of separation. The image of the chinh phu waiting for any word from her husband in a distant, perilous battlefield, where danger and death lurk at every corner, amplifies the anguish. The emotional turbulence of the speaker is a reflection of that same longing and fear of the unknown, the pain of possible loss. This suggests that the "restlessness" the poet speaks of is not only a burning desire but also a mix of anxiety and sorrow—fear of the separation that might be abrupt and permanent. The image of the chinh phu reminds us of similar figures in traditional Vietnamese literature, particularly in the poem "Chinh Phu Ngam Khuc" by the poet Doan Thi Diem. There, two lovers are separated by war: one at home, the other on the battlefield, both anxiously awaiting any word from the other. "You don’t hear the autumn forest, The leaves of autumn rustling." Autumn causes the green leaves to wither and fall, swept away by the wind, leaving behind bare branches. This natural phenomenon, though common, takes on a symbolic meaning in poetry, representing decay, the passage of time, and separation. The line "You don’t hear the autumn forest" repeats the structure "You don’t hear..." to emphasize the speaker's overwhelming emotions. The forest, a place where trees grow and thrive, becomes a metaphor for the speaker’s emotional world—a world where love and longing take root and grow. Yet, in autumn, the leaves fall, just as the speaker’s inner world is affected by the passing of time, and feelings of loss and yearning take hold. "The leaves rustle" can be understood as a literal description of the falling leaves as the wind passes through them, creating a soft, rustling sound. However, in the context of the speaker's emotions, this rustling becomes a metaphor for the inner turmoil they feel—any small change in their environment causes a surge of emotional pain. Finally, the poet introduces two unexpected lines that seem disconnected from the emotional thread of the poem but are, in fact, crucial to understanding the speaker's deeper emotions: "The golden deer, confused, Treads on the dry yellow leaves." The poem shifts suddenly from the image of the autumn forest to the image of a golden deer, which seems bewildered as it steps on the dry leaves. At first, the reader may wonder if this image is relevant to the rest of the poem or if it was an accidental choice by Luu Trong Lu. Yet, when viewed from a different angle, the image of the golden deer suggests innocence and purity. Love, too, despite its pain, remains pure and beautiful. The line "Treads on the dry yellow leaves" can be interpreted as a symbol of perseverance and unwavering belief. Despite all the sorrow, loss, and uncertainty, as long as love exists, it can overcome all challenges and obstacles. Thus, Luu Trong Lu's "The Sound of Autumn" offers readers a vision of autumn that is not only beautiful but also steeped in a sense of poignant sadness. Through his portrayal of the external world, the poet illuminates the inner world of the speaker—a person filled with longing, turmoil, and yearning for love. Despite the distance and the differences in perception, the poet affirms that love is sacred and transcendent, capable of enduring all difficulties.