Top 10 Essays Analyzing the Poem 'Khi Con Tu Tu' by To Huu

'Khi Con Tu Tu' was written by To Huu during his time in captivity at the Thua Phu prison. The entire poem reverberates with the call of the tu tu bird, which serves as the emotional spark for the revolutionary prisoner. The sound of the tu tu bird, therefore, plays a significant role in the poem's meaning and message.

Aside from the poem's title, the sound of the tu tu bird appears twice in the poem, each time evoking a unique thought and feeling in the poet. Initially, the bird's call brings To Huu's mind images of an idyllic life outside the prison, full of vitality and life:

"When the tu tu bird calls the flock

The autumn rice is ripening, fruits sweetening

The garden hums with cicadas' songs

Golden corn kernels fill the sunlit field

The sky grows wider and higher still

Two kite birds swoop in graceful arcs..."

This sound of the tu tu bird is a symbol of reality, signaling the arrival of harvest season, with fruits ripening on trees. To Huu, imprisoned and cut off from the outside world, relies on his senses and imagination to perceive the vibrant world beyond. Outside, everything is in full bloom: the rice is ripening, fruits are becoming sweet, the colors are vivid—green, yellow, and golden hues—and the space is vast, as the sky expands higher and higher.

To Huu captures the dynamic, full-of-life outside world, filled with freedom and tranquility, in sharp contrast to the confinement of the prison. Through these verses, we sense the poet's enjoyment and enthusiasm, but also his yearning for freedom, longing to live a life as vibrant and free as the nature he describes outside.

Youthful, passionate, and eager to live and contribute, To Huu's emotions intensify as he longs to break free from the prison. When the tu tu bird calls again, that yearning erupts, manifesting into a strong, vivid desire for freedom:

"I hear the summer rising within me

My feet long to step, break the prison walls

The suffocation overwhelms, I can hardly bear it

The tu tu bird keeps calling from the sky..."

With summer comes the force of life, urging the revolutionary prisoner to break the walls and run to the freedom awaiting outside. Such a robust spirit cannot endure the stifling, oppressive prison life.

The rising sense of frustration and anger overflows, bursting forth in the words: 'The suffocation overwhelms, I can hardly bear it.' The poetic structure of the 3/3 meter conveys the poet's tightly compressed emotions, suddenly spilling out, reflecting a firm resolve to reject the life of captivity and embrace freedom. The poem begins with the tu tu bird's call to the flock, symbolizing the expansive light-filled world, and ends with the bird's call again, urging the revolutionary soldier to move swiftly to battle.

'Khi Con Tu Tu' uses the traditional Vietnamese six-eight meter and simple yet emotional language to convey the author's powerful yearning for freedom. The poem offers a poignant self-portrait of the revolutionary soldier, full of vitality and symbolic of the younger generation of Vietnam at that time.

Each work of literature is like a beloved child to its creator, allowing them to express their deepest thoughts. The same is true for Tố Hữu, who, through his spiritual creation "Khi con tu hú," paints a vivid picture of summer's nature, filled with a thirst for freedom and a deep love for his homeland:

"When the cuckoo calls its flock,

The summer rice is ripening, fruits sweeten.

The shaded garden hums with cicada song,

The maize field gleams with golden kernels, a field full of peach blossom sun.

The sky expands ever wider and higher,

The kites soar, tumbling through the boundless air...

We hear summer stir in our hearts,

Our feet long to crush the walls, oh summer!

How suffocating, deathly suffocating,

While the cuckoo outside continues to call!"

The poem "Khi con tu hú" was written by Tố Hữu during his revolutionary activities when he was imprisoned at Thừa Phủ prison in Huế. The cuckoo's call broke through the prison bars, infiltrating his soul and awakening his consciousness:

"When the cuckoo calls its flock,

The summer rice is ripening, fruits sweeten."

The cuckoo brings the fragrance of summer, and Tố Hữu senses the ripening rice, bringing to mind fields of golden rice. The cuckoo's song stirs the poet's soul, evoking a fierce longing to merge with nature.

Moreover, the poet senses the delicate aroma of ripening fruits, perhaps reflecting his awareness of the swift passage of time, and a desire to preserve the essence of nature—hence the use of "ripening" and "sweetening" instead of "ripe" and "sweet."

In this natural scene, there is not only the sound of the cuckoo, the color of the ripening rice, the flavor of the sweetening fruits, but also the sound of cicadas, the flapping of kites soaring freely across the vast blue sky, and the golden maize fields tinged with the pink of peach blossom sun:

"The shaded garden hums with cicada song,

The maize field gleams with golden kernels, a field full of peach blossom sun.

The sky expands ever wider and higher,

The kites soar, tumbling through the boundless air..."

The cicada's song reverberates in the canopy, bringing memories of school days. Through Tố Hữu's imagination, the reader can almost see a warm, cheerful rural scene. The poet's perspective expands from the "maize fields full of golden kernels" to the dazzling summer sun.

The pinkish hue of the sunlight could symbolize the poet's optimistic outlook on the world, his yearning for freedom, for the day he can break free. Below, golden maize fields flourish, while above, kites dance in the boundless sky.

With his delicate writing, the poet has created a vivid, joyful masterpiece of summer. Tố Hữu uses the familiar folk poetry form of lục bát, skillfully employing listing techniques to leave a lasting impression of a summer filled with vibrant fragrances.

It is clear that the poet must have had a deep love for nature and an intense connection to his homeland, enabling him to craft such a beautiful summer scene. Through Tố Hữu's eyes, this summer not only feels beautiful, but also carries a wealth of emotion:

"We hear summer stir in our hearts,

Our feet long to crush the walls, oh summer!

How suffocating, deathly suffocating,

While the cuckoo outside continues to call!"

The poem shifts from nostalgia for summer's sounds to frustration at being confined. As summer arrives, bringing with it hopes and memories, it urges the imprisoned poet to break free, to "crush the walls" and seek liberty. The poet feels the stirrings of summer within his heart, yet his limbs are bound by the prison's restrictions.

The poet's feelings of frustration and suffocation rise as the blood of rebellion surges within him, longing to break out of the prison's suffocating walls and join the vast, free natural world. The outside world causes him to feel oppressed and trapped, yet he is hindered by the colonial prison bars. He can only cry out, "How suffocating, deathly suffocating!"

Tố Hữu's yearning for freedom intensifies, driven by his desire to contribute to the revolution and continue his revolutionary path. He uses strong verbs like "crush," "suffocate," and "die," paired with exclamation points, to convey a surge of passionate emotion. What can be done when we are imprisoned, and the cuckoo continues to call from the outside?

Perhaps the poet hears this as a call from the revolution itself, urging him to rise and fight for the country. The cuckoo's call in the vast, open world stands in stark contrast to the poet's confinement. The cuckoo's call at the beginning signals the joy of summer, while its call at the end makes the poet feel stifled and uncomfortable.

The poet longs to escape his prison, but the harsh reality only deepens his feelings of irritation and unease. However, even in the face of imprisonment, the poet remains determined. As he wrote in another poem, "Trăng tối":

"Revolutionary life, once I understood,

To commit oneself means to endure imprisonment."

Thus, no matter how difficult the revolutionary path may be, the poet will continue to confront and fulfill his duties. Although the poem "Khi con tu hú" ends, the cuckoo's call still echoes in the poet's soul. Through a vibrant depiction of nature, experienced through various senses, Tố Hữu has expressed the frustrations in his heart.

His use of simple yet expressive language has firmly established his artistic talent. The artist does not only take up a pen to fight the enemy, but also picks up a rifle to join the battlefield. They possess an intense yearning for freedom, a desire to stand alongside the Party and offer their strength in the service of the revolution.

Tố Hữu stands as the vanguard of revolutionary Vietnamese poetry. His poetic journey has always aligned with the path of revolution. With a style that blends lyrical and political tones, combined with a sweet and heartfelt voice infused with deep national spirit, Tố Hữu has left behind a legacy of numerous beautiful poems.

The poem "Khi con tu hú" was written in July 1939 during his imprisonment at Thừa Phủ Prison (Hue) and was later published in the collection "Từ ấy". It stands as one of the most representative works showcasing the soul of Tố Hữu. Through this poem, readers can feel the poet's deep love for life and his intense longing for freedom as a revolutionary soldier trapped in the harsh confinement. The first six lines depict a peaceful, vivid summer scene in the countryside:

"When the cuckoo calls its flock

The autumn rice is ripening, fruits becoming sweet

The garden stirs with the sound of cicadas

The maize field is full, golden kernels scattered in the sun

The sky is vast and high

Two soaring kites tumble in the air..."

The poetic language is rich with imagery, natural, lively, and flexible. The poet vividly paints a scene of summer nature, resembling a silk painting. The sound of the cuckoo's call, echoing like a distant memory, awakens the senses and transports the soul into a bright, bustling, and lively summer, brimming with vitality. The scene is rich in sound, color, and taste, harmoniously blending these elements into a summer symphony.

There is the lively sound of the cuckoo calling its flock, the cicadas announcing summer, and the sound of the kites soaring in the sky; the vibrant colors of ripening rice, golden maize, and the soft peach-colored sunlight; the sweet taste of ripe fruit; the vast, free sky above, and the soaring kites. Together, they create a musical composition of summer with vibrant sounds, radiant colors, warm light, and sweet aromas.

It is certain that Tố Hữu must have been a poet with a sensitive and delicate soul, possessing a rich imagination to paint such a vivid, beautiful, and emotionally charged summer scene, even while enduring the harshness of imprisonment. Through this, we also see the poet's youthful soul, his love for life, and his burning desire for freedom. The last four lines express the intense longing for freedom of the revolutionary soldier:

"I feel summer stirring within me

My feet yearn to break through the walls, oh summer!

How suffocating, I feel as if I will die from frustration

The cuckoo keeps calling from outside!"

The flexible rhythm of the lines: 2/2/2; 6/2; 3/3; 4/4, combined with powerful modal verbs like "break through the walls" and "die from frustration"; as well as exclamatory words like "oh, how, enough"—all serve to express the poet's overwhelming frustration and desire to break free from the dark prison. This highlights the constant, burning desire for freedom in the heart of the young soldier.

The persistent sound of the cuckoo's call acts as a prompt, urging the prisoner to act, calling him back to a life of freedom, tranquility, and peace. Thus, while the cuckoo's call at the beginning of the poem signals the lively and bustling arrival of summer, its call at the end symbolizes the desperate, intense yearning for freedom.

The poem is written in the traditional lục bát form, a hallmark of Vietnamese poetry, blending a flexible tone, natural language, and close connection to the people. All of these elements contribute to the consistent emotional theme of the poem: love for nature, the suffocating feeling of being imprisoned, and the longing to return to a life of freedom.

"Do you remember when the cuckoo called?
You often told stories of the days in Hue
How desperately sweet the cuckoo's call was
With mother and father too busy with work, not returning
I stayed with you, and you told me to listen
You taught me to do things, you cared for my studies..."

(Bếp lửa - Bằng Việt)

Is the cuckoo not the emotional theme for many Northern poets? The poem "Khi con tu hú" was written by Tố Hữu in July 1939, during his revolutionary activities when he was imprisoned at Lao Thừa Phủ - Hue. The poem reflects the suffocating feelings of a young communist soldier, full of life and love for the world, imprisoned within cold walls.

These emotions grow even more intense as the poet's spirit reaches out toward the free sky outside. Especially, within this freedom, the sound of the cuckoo calling its flock echoes. With its heart-wrenching cry, the suffocating tension becomes an uncontrollable, burning desire for freedom:

"I feel summer stirring within me
My feet long to break free of this room, oh summer!"

The title of the poem, "Khi con tu hú", signifies the sound that opens up the emotional flow of the entire poem. The impact of this sound heightens the poet's feelings and urges him toward freedom. It is clear that Tố Hữu, despite being imprisoned and tortured, never lost his revolutionary spirit. He had once declared:

"Since I understood the cause of revolution
To join it meant enduring imprisonment
The sword at my throat, the gun at my ear
My life feels like only half remains."

(Trăng trối)

Returning to the opening lines of the poem: "When the cuckoo calls its flock". This is the poignant and deprived moment when the cuckoo calls, beckoning the poet back to his comrades. The call of the cuckoo only amplifies the poet's loneliness within the cold walls. Tố Hữu was imprisoned during the passionate revolutionary years of his youth, eager to give all his energy to the cause.

The sound of the cuckoo calling arouses deep memories in Tố Hữu. In the darkness of his prison, the poet draws on all his senses to imagine the familiar countryside beyond:

"The autumn rice ripens, fruits sweeten
The garden stirs with the sound of cicadas

The maize field glows, golden kernels filling the sunlit yard."

This is a vivid picture painted with memories. The countryside is full of life and energy. The autumn rice ripens, fruits grow sweeter, everything is moving toward completion, perfection (ripening, becoming sweeter). The summer season announces itself with familiar sights, sounds, and sunlight.

Only someone deeply connected to life and their homeland could feel such an ache! The poet's imagination takes flight, soaring toward the expansive sky:

"The sky grows wider, higher
Two kites soar and tumble in the vast expanse."

This is the beloved sky of childhood, where "two kites tumble in the air." Amid the vast, boundless sky, the kites seem like tiny dots against the vastness of the universe. The image of the kites soaring in the sky symbolizes the revolutionary soldier's longing for freedom. This desire, suppressed until now, bursts forth in a powerful eruption:

"I feel summer stirring within me
My feet long to break free of this room, oh summer!
How suffocating, I feel like I'll die from frustration
The cuckoo keeps calling from outside."

The rhythm of life rises, urging, pushing into every corner of the dark prison, infiltrating the young communist's soul, transforming into a desire to act: "I want to break free from this room".

The poem has ten lines, and the opening and closing lines feature the call of the cuckoo. The resonance of this call reverberates throughout the poem, persistent, yearning, and heartbreaking. The call penetrates the confining, dark world of the prison and intensifies the poet's feelings of suffocation, to the point where he cries out:

"How suffocating, I feel like I'll die from frustration
The cuckoo keeps calling from outside."

The poem ends, yet there remains an echo of the poet's lament! It is the sorrow of a young bird filled with life, yet trapped and unable to soar, pulled down by the four walls of confinement.

The poem allows us to understand the depth of the young communist's soul. The revolutionary soldier possesses an extraordinarily rich inner world, moved deeply by the rhythm of life, profoundly connected to his homeland and fields, and burning with an insatiable longing for freedom.

The poem concludes, but the cuckoo's call "keeps crying," endlessly, persistently... This is the cry of the longing for freedom for the poet, for the nation, and for the homeland!

Tố Hữu is a poet with many remarkable works covering a wide range of topics from the revolutionary period. His name has become synonymous with some of the most successful poetry of that era. "Khi con tu hú" was written during the time the poet was imprisoned for his revolutionary activities. This poem beautifully conveys the burning desire of a soldier yearning for freedom outside the prison walls.

The cuckoo calling its flock is a sound deeply familiar in the rural villages of Vietnam. The call of the cuckoo marks the arrival of summer. And in such circumstances, the revolutionary soldier feels more trapped than ever before.

"When the cuckoo calls its flock

The autumn rice ripens, fruits become sweeter

The garden stirs with the sound of cicadas

The cornfield turns golden, the yard filled with ripe maize in the summer sun

The sky grows wider, higher

Two kites tumble in the open sky"

The poem begins with vivid images that the young soldier envisions in his mind as he hears the cuckoo's call. He imagines so many things, all beautiful images linked to his memories of freedom. The entire landscape seems filled with vitality, vibrant colors such as the golden hues of the autumn rice fields, the grains of rice, the peach-colored sunlight, and the sounds of the kite's whistle and cicadas buzzing.

This combination of visual and auditory imagery speaks to the poet's deep connection with nature and his rich imagination. Only someone with such a love for nature and vivid imagination could feel such a profound connection. Every sense is awakened by the outlines, colors, and sounds of the homeland.

These images all represent things at their peak, at the height of their fulfillment: the ripening rice, the fruits of hard work and sweat. With his sensitive soul and unique perspective, the poet even captures how sunlight changes with different angles, beside a sky as clear and peaceful as still water, allowing a clearer vision. “The sky grows wider, higher.”

The entire world seems to open up endlessly. Even though the young man is imprisoned, behind bars, he can still feel the outside world with his heart and spirit. Everything is full of life, and even the kites are not solitary but fly freely, together, experiencing the sky that belongs to them.

Yet, the young man, the poet, is not like that. He longs for the freedom of the kites but is unable to grasp it. He can only look toward freedom, pouring his longing soul into the images outside. At this point, the rhythm of the poem takes on a duality.

The poet creates two contrasting pictures. Outside, there is freedom, happiness, and a life bathed in sunlight, while inside the prison, behind the iron bars, there is darkness and confinement. In this very circumstance, the soldier's yearning grows more intense than ever.

"I feel summer stirring inside

And my feet long to break out of this room, oh summer!

How suffocating, I could die from this frustration

The cuckoo keeps calling outside"

This stanza directly expresses the poet's emotions. The feelings of frustration and suffocation are so overwhelming that the poet cannot hold back. The repeated exclamations, "oh" and "die", show the soldier's deep desire to break free and experience the freedom he craves. This stanza is a moment of awakening of the poet's rational mind, a deep sense of injustice, wanting to break free from the prison and live out his ideals. Perhaps, this is why, in real life, after three years, Tố Hữu escaped from prison to rejoin his comrades and fulfill his vow to contribute to life.

The poem is a perfect blend of the external world and the internal emotions. The vivid portrayal of nature not only creates a dynamic image but also reflects the strong will of the revolutionary soldier.

Freedom has always been a deep and sacred desire of humankind, as it has been since time immemorial. This longing is intense and sacred. However, the concept of freedom has evolved with time. In the poem 'Khi con tu hú,' the yearning is that of a new generation—young men who have just embarked on the path of struggle to liberate the working class, to free the nation, in a new era—an era that began with the October Revolution of 1917 ('The Soviet Union blossomed when I was three years old' – Hope).

That call resonates in poetry, the poetry of the New Poetry movement (1932 – 1945), which represents the second shift, this time in terms of artistry. 'Khi con tu hú' serves as a meeting point between the content and form of the poem. It epitomizes the revolutionary poetry of the 1930s.

So, how should we understand this poem? If we were to write a prose sentence beginning with 'Khi con tu hú' to summarize the poem’s content, we could approach it in two ways: – The call of the cuckoo bird signifies the arrival of summer, and the revolutionary prisoner (the lyrical subject) feels increasingly suffocated in their cramped cell, longing desperately for the freedom and vibrancy of the outside world.

The poem’s title evokes the emotional current of the piece. – The call of the cuckoo bird, the revolutionary prisoner—the lyrical subject, once youthful and dedicated to the movement, comrades, and friends amid the grand struggle for freedom—now confined, experiences a yearning that can never be extinguished.

This longing is directed toward freedom. It transforms into a deep craving. Between these two interpretations, should we choose the second? Because it more accurately and objectively presents the emotional flow of the poem, highlighting the spiritual foundation of the yearning for freedom. With this proper perspective, we can now delve into the poem’s analysis. The poem consists of ten lines, with the first six lines forming the opening stanza:

'When the cuckoo calls its flock

The summer rice ripens, fruits gradually sweeten

The shaded garden stirs with the sound of cicadas

The cornfields spread golden grains across the sunlit yard

The sky grows ever wider, higher

Two kites soar and tumble through the vast sky…'

This is a typical depiction of summer in rural villages. Yet this realistic image unfolds in two layers: listening and reminiscing, the present and the past, what is approaching and what has passed. The present—the 'now' that the poet hears—is the call of the cuckoo, a sudden listening after a period of being shackled in prison ('When the cuckoo calls its flock'). This feeling is sudden because it emerges in a space of rare life sounds breaking through.

Is this sensation not similar to the feeling the author of 'Prison Diary' must have experienced when hearing the sound of a flute ('Suddenly, I hear the flute play in the prison')? It’s strange and immensely evocative. The cuckoo calling its flock signifies the arrival of summer. But how it arrives remains unseen by the poet. The poet’s connection to the villages comes in place of it.

Filling the gap surrounded by the cold, stone walls of the prison cell is the poet’s imagination, which the reader feels as entirely natural, without any sense of artificiality or forced composition. Let us revisit:

'When the cuckoo calls its flock

The summer rice ripens, fruits gradually sweeten.'

The two lines, followed by the next four, create a chain reaction: each time the bird’s call sounds, it is followed by the harvest, fruits ripening. This harmony has always been a natural law. The bird’s call signifies the season’s arrival, evoking an excitement that stirs the heart.

We must note the two stages of ripening rice and sweetening fruits: 'ripening' and 'gradually sweetening.' If we were to replace 'ripening' with 'already ripe' or 'sweet' with 'already sweet,' the poem’s essence would change, becoming static and frozen. But here, describing the bird as it flies and the fruit as it begins to ripen, we see the dynamism of the poem, of poetry itself.

This dynamic is due not only to the poet’s skill but also to their deep affection for life. Hearing a bird call, the poet envisions the thriving life of rice and fruit, their branches and stems trembling with life—such visions come from those who love life so much it tugs at their heartstrings. This is not to mention the graceful, rhythmic qualities and expressive potential of the six-eight meter of traditional poetry.

The six-eight meter of poetry is a fixed form that remains incredibly flexible. For example, in the first four lines, if we observe the sensory components within their structure, we can see how each couplet (6/8) presents both sound and sight, creating an urgent feeling of the harvest season approaching:

'When the cuckoo calls its flock

The summer rice ripens, fruits gradually sweeten

The shaded garden stirs with the sound of cicadas

The cornfields spread golden grains across the sunlit yard.'

If the first four lines are beautiful, describing the lively atmosphere of summer and the lush fruitfulness, the following two lines seem unrelated to that atmosphere, describing kites and the vast blue sky. In the past, Nguyễn Trãi, upon witnessing the prosperity of the people, thought of the emperor’s lute. Though the lute and the bowl of rice seem distant, in a peaceful, happy world, they are very close.

Therefore, the two lines 'The sky grows ever wider, higher – Two kites soar and tumble through the vast sky' may represent the soaring sounds of a melody, rising above the previous imagery of the harvest. To explain why the rural scene in the poem appears so real and beautiful, we must consider two aspects: first, the rural landscape, especially during harvest time, is inherently beautiful, evoking warmth and satisfaction from the toil of the farmer.

But the second aspect, crucial in this poem, is that the imprisoned poet, who loves this world, dreams of it, perceives it as within reach. His longing is not for mere nature but for freedom—freedom as immense and simple as a truth.

To convey both the external (the setting) and the internal (the emotional state), with an emotional pull that moves the reader, Tố Hữu draws upon both the achievements of folk poetry (the six-eight meter of folk songs) and modern poetry. In terms of modern poetry, Tố Hữu’s success lies in how he amplifies the expressive 'I,' the inner emotional self, full of vibrant feelings and boundless imagination.

The first six lines of the poem resemble a passionate melody; they convey both through words and through the inner life of the poet. Even the first line’s cause—a simple, almost unnoticed sound—makes the emotions surge, like the moment of a 'twinge of heart' (a poem by Thế Lữ).

A tiny sound of life, unnoticed by most, has immense evocative power for Tố Hữu. The call of the 'flock' immediately stirs his imagination. This sensitivity belongs to poetry in general but is particularly strong in modern poetry. Reading 'Khi con tu hú,' one feels that it simultaneously belongs to folk songs while transcending them through its blend of two distinct poetic traditions. The poem can be divided into two sections. The first describes the scene (though indirectly, through a painting) and the second reveals the emotional landscape, at least through the formal markers of poetic language:

'I hear the summer stir within me

And my feet long to break free from the cell, oh summer!

How suffocating, how suffocating it is!

The cuckoo bird outside keeps calling!'

In the analysis of the first section, we observe a phenomenon: a chain reaction of images, one calling forth the other. At a larger level, the second section is a continuation of the first, driven by this chain reaction. The signal of this is the word 'summer' ('I hear the summer stir within me'). Without this vibrant summer, the prison cell would remain just a cell, without evoking feelings of frustration.

Perhaps the revolutionary soldier would have to live with it for life. We now understand how the chain reaction works—the intense stirrings of the poet’s heart. 'Breaking free from the cell' suggests an intense desire, while 'oh summer!' becomes a mournful cry. The rhythm of line eight is quite special.

Typically, it’s composed of two even halves, 4/4. Here, however, it’s divided 6/2. The 6-beat rhythm feels like a rush of anger, while the 2-beat rhythm, after encountering the cold, stone walls, becomes a cry of longing, a sorrowful sigh. This represents the clash between the subjective will and the objective circumstance of the defeated one.

But defeat is only temporary. The mental struggle in the poet’s mind continues. How to overcome circumstances, to defeat oneself when the forces at play are so uneven? The 3/3 rhythm of 'How suffocating, how suffocating it is!' expresses this internal tug-of-war, yet it leans towards the prisoner’s suffering.

Thus, the poetic message deepens, yet remains unresolved. The call for freedom rings out carelessly, yet the person yearning for it remains imprisoned. The final couplet represents the peak of spiritual conflict, a moment of tension between the poet’s inner yearning and the external world’s limitations.

The cuckoo’s call, the call of freedom, is so warm, yet so burning. It ignites an intense longing. From the call of the season to the cry urging action, the poem moves from the darkness of imprisonment to the light of freedom.

Regarding the communist ideal, the soul of the young intellectual Nguyễn Kim Thành is filled with sound and light; he compares his spirit to a "garden of flowers, filled with fragrance and the song of birds." This young communist soldier is passionately and wholeheartedly dedicated to his cause. His days in the Thừa Phủ prison with Tố Hữu were long, marked by a yearning for freedom—the greatest hope. He listens to the life outside the prison bars with a deep, affectionate love.

These emotions are conveyed in several of his poems. One of them is When the Cuckoo Calls. The summer season is depicted with the sweet fragrance of ripening rice, the sweet taste of early fruits, the buzzing of cicadas under the scorching heat of central Vietnam, and a vast, clear blue sky where kites soar. The poetic lines, in the gentle rhythm of lục bát verse, encapsulate the entire summer in six verses:

"When the cuckoo calls the flock

The rice is ripening, fruits sweeten

The garden is filled with the sound of cicadas

Golden corn scattered across the sunlit yard

The sky is expanding, higher and wider

The kites soar and tumble in the air..."

It is truly a summer brimming with vitality, rich in fragrance, vibrant in color, and filled with the sounds of life. The poet, also an artist, must have a deep connection with life and nature, having lived passionately with the world around him, to create such vivid and compelling images.

However, it is not just this. What stands out is how the imagery of summer’s fragrance and beauty is triggered by a sound: the call of the cuckoo. Indeed, everything seems to come alive, "awakening within", from the moment the prisoner-poet hears the cuckoo calling its companions. That moment is the magical instant when all emotions are stirred.

The prisoner painfully realizes the ironic and tragic nature of his situation, confined within the "four white walls"—dark, suffocating, and lonely. Beyond those walls, life is blossoming, outside there is the sky of freedom, "and how joyful it is out there." Thus, the ripening rice fields and vast, endless blue sky, the garden full of cicada sounds, and the calls of the kites are merely memories, remnants of the days when he was free, actively engaging in revolutionary work alongside his comrades in his homeland.

That summer is merely in his mind. It carries with it an intense, overwhelming desire to "break free from the cage", to tear everything apart in order to liberate himself, to merge with nature, with life, to be himself and live fully for the revolution:

"I hear summer awakening within

And my feet want to shatter the walls, oh summer!

How suffocating, I die of frustration."

These lines are sincere, almost a confession. They honestly express the suffocating state and the pent-up frustration of being imprisoned, and the poet’s intense reaction to his circumstances... all of which naturally evoke empathy and shared feelings in the reader.

Recall that just a few months earlier, in April 1939, the young student Tố Hữu was actively participating in the revolutionary movement in his native Huế when the French invaders captured him. In the early days of his imprisonment, the young revolutionary expressed his inner turmoil through heartfelt poetry:

"How lonely it is, the prisoner’s life

My ears open wide, my heart boiling with passion"

(Thoughts in Prison)

In the "prisoner’s life", this young communist found a way to stay connected to life through the "channel" of sound: He opened his ears and listened to the sounds of life beyond the prison walls. Returning to this poem, it is clear that the poet not only hears the "sounds of life stirring outside the prison" but also feels it deeply with all the senses that nature has endowed him.

Imagine, at the age of 19, filled with revolutionary fervor, being imprisoned for the first time, cut off from a free life, from friends and comrades! Indeed, because he was soon enlightened, able to rise above the harsh conditions and nurture his fighting spirit. It can be seen as a way of liberating oneself from the chains of the enemy, something that President Hồ Chí Minh also found important when he faced a similar situation:

"The body is in prison

The spirit is free outside"

(Hồ Chí Minh - Prison Diary)

This spirit, this will, is embedded in the anguishing, painful restlessness—both physical and spiritual—when summer arrives with the call of the "cuckoo outside, constantly calling." It is truly a moment that evokes deep empathy and admiration. The final line of the poem closes a chapter of "thoughts in prison" of the communist poet Tố Hữu, but surely it continues to stir fresh, profound ideas in the hearts of readers.

Reading When the Cuckoo Calls allows us to better understand the soul, feelings, and aspirations of the young communist soldier. It deepens our admiration for those who live fully for their beloved country.

Tố Hữu composed the poem "When the Cuckoo Calls" while imprisoned at Thừa Phủ prison (Hue) during the summer of 1939, after being arrested by the French colonists for his "crime" of loving his country and fighting for revolution. The poem expresses the restless and suffocating feelings of a young communist imprisoned, who, upon hearing the sound of the cuckoo, signaling the arrival of summer, longs to break free from his chains and return to his beloved comrades and the people.

The call of the cuckoo reminds the poet of the vast sky outside, making him feel even more trapped in his cramped cell, longing intensely for freedom. The sound of the cuckoo is the trigger that sparks the poet’s emotions:

"When the cuckoo calls its flock"

"The summer rice ripens, the fruits grow sweeter"

This is the signal of the vibrant summer, of life bursting forth in full bloom. The sound of the cuckoo has an involuntary effect on the young prisoner’s soul. Lying in his narrow, dark cell, separated from the outside world, the poet listens to the lively birdcall, hearing all the sounds of life through the sensitive heart of an artist. A single birdcall conjures vivid memories of the warm summers of his homeland.

Summer is the season when the summer rice ripens, and fruits become sweeter under the golden, honey-like sun of Central Vietnam. The sounds and beautiful, life-filled images of summer flash through the poet’s memory:

"In the shaded garden, the cicadas sing"

"The corn ripens, golden kernels cover the sunlit yard"

"The sky becomes wider and higher"

"Two kites fly, tumbling through the sky..."

Ah, the sound of cicadas! Their long-lasting call throughout childhood, throughout school years—how can one forget? The cicadas evoke memories of cool gardens, cornfields basking in the peach-colored sun. The golden hue of the rice, the corn; the pink of the sun; the blue of the sky create a beautiful, radiant picture of the countryside. The faint smell of rice and early-season fruits lingers in the air, while the cuckoo calls and the cicadas buzz in the leafy canopy.

In the vast sky, the kites flutter, the sound of flutes hums through the cool summer breeze... How deeply connected to his homeland must the poet be to paint such a vivid picture of a summer in Hue. These were the summers when the eighteen-year-old youth still lived freely among family, friends, and comrades.

The six lines of the lục bát form open up a world full of vibrant, life-filled energy. The poet weaves in many sounds and images typical of summer: the cicadas singing in the garden, the golden rice ripening in the fields, the expansive sky with kites soaring, the sweet, ripe fruits...

The cuckoo’s call begins and sets the rhythm for the bustling, colorful, and fragrant summer, as experienced by the prisoner. This stanza highlights the poet’s sensitive perception and the burning desire for freedom of the young revolutionary, who, despite his love for life, is imprisoned by the enemy. Remembering the past, the poet is suddenly jolted back to the harsh reality of his prison:

"I hear summer stirring within me"

"But my feet long to kick open the cell, oh summer!"

The inspiration for the poem starts with the cuckoo’s call. The bird’s song recalls summer and stirs deep restlessness in the poet’s soul. The emotions rise in waves, urging the poet to break free from his chains, to escape the prison and return to a life of freedom.

It seems as though the heat of summer burns fiercely in the veins of the patriotic youth, Tố Hữu. The intense vitality of summer is akin to the passionate vigor of youth, filled with revolutionary ideals, eager to act and contribute to the people and the nation. The cuckoo’s call is the call to life, urging the revolutionary soldier, held captive, to escape. Outside is freedom, while here it is suffocating and stifling:

"How suffocating it is, I will die in frustration"

"The cuckoo outside keeps calling!"

The anguished, frustrated state of the poet is powerfully expressed in the poem. The unusual rhythm and the use of evocative words and exclamations convey to the reader the intense feeling of resentment and the fiery longing to break free from prison and return to the freedom of the outside world, where the young patriot yearns to reunite with his people and comrades.

The poem captures the restless, aching struggle of the poet’s body and soul. In such circumstances, at such a moment, the communist must struggle within himself to maintain self-control, rise above the bitterness of colonial imprisonment, and nurture his will, preserving the revolutionary spirit.

This form of active resistance resonates with Hồ Chí Minh, who similarly found himself in prison under the rule of Chiang Kai-shek: "My body is in prison, but my spirit is free." Revolutionary heroes like Xuân Thủy affirmed: "They can imprison us and bind our hands and feet, But they cannot stop us from thinking of freedom." (Xuân Thủy). The cuckoo’s incessant calling reminds the poet of his dire circumstances, urging him to break free from the shackles of captivity and reclaim his freedom.

The poem "When the Cuckoo Calls" is the voice of a young communist soldier who, despite being imprisoned, remains full of life, youth, and a deep love for humanity and life itself.

The poem 'When the Cuckoo Calls' was written in July 1939 when the poet, caught up in revolutionary activities, was imprisoned in Thừa Phủ Jail in Huế. The poem reflects the suffocating feelings of a passionate young communist imprisoned in a cold, confined cell.

This feeling intensifies as the poet's mind escapes to the freedom of the outside world. Especially when, amidst the freedom, the sound of a cuckoo calling to its flock rings through the air. The haunting sound amplifies the poet's feelings of suffocation and transforms into an overwhelming, uncontainable desire for freedom:

"I hear summer rising within me,

My feet long to kick down the walls, oh summer!"

From the outset, the poem's title, 'When the Cuckoo Calls', signals an auditory cue that sets the emotional tone for the entire piece. This sound, when placed into the poet's emotional landscape, becomes even more urgent and powerful, propelling him towards the yearning for freedom.

It is clear that despite his imprisonment and torture, Tố Hữu, the young communist, remains unbroken. The poet had already accepted:

"The revolutionary life, once chosen, means accepting imprisonment"

(Final Words)

Returning to the opening line of the poem: “When the cuckoo calls its flock.” This is a deeply emotional and deprived moment, hearing the cuckoo's call, a summons to comrades and friends. The call of the bird intensifies the poet's loneliness in his cold, prison cell. Tố Hữu is incarcerated at a time when the fiery revolutionary spirit of his youth yearns to contribute everything to the cause.

The cuckoo's call stirs a deep longing in Tố Hữu. In the dark confines of his prison, the poet envisions the familiar countryside outside:

"The winter rice ripens, fruits become sweet,

The garden hums with cicada songs,

Corn ripens, golden kernels fill the sunlit yard."

A picture is “painted” in the mind, fueled by aching nostalgia. The rhythm of rural life is lively and full of vitality. “The winter rice ripens, fruits become sweet” — this progression toward perfection symbolizes the ongoing motion of nature. A summer season, replete with sounds, colors, and familiar sunlight, signals its arrival.

Only someone who deeply loves life and feels an inseparable bond with their homeland could feel such an insatiable ache! The poet's imagination soars into the expansive sky:

"The sky grows wider and higher,

The two birds soar, spinning across the vast sky..."

It is the same familiar blue sky from the poet's childhood, where “two birds soar, spinning in the vast sky.” Amid the immense expanse of the heavens, these birds, spinning in the air, are tiny specks in comparison. The image of the birds darting through the sky echoes the poet's intense desire for freedom. This yearning has been repressed for so long that it now bursts forth uncontrollably:

"I hear summer rising within me,

My feet long to kick down the walls, oh summer!"

It is a rush of life calling from all corners, urging, summoning, seeping into the deepest recesses of the prison, stirring the soul of the young communist. This becomes a burning desire for action: “I want to break down the walls.”

The poem consists of ten lines, with the first and last being the call of the cuckoo. The echo of this call reverberates throughout the poem, its cry persistent and plaintive. This sound penetrates the confines of the prison, making the poet’s frustration and suffocation palpable, even leading him to exclaim: "I can't breathe, it's suffocating!"

Though the poem ends, the cuckoo's call “keeps calling,” endlessly, eternally... Through this work, we gain insight into the beautiful soul of this young communist. Despite his imprisonment, he possesses a rich and passionate inner world, deeply moved by the rhythms of life, profoundly connected to his homeland, and burning with an undying desire for freedom.

Tố Hữu holds a significant position as a leading poet in the revolutionary poetry movement of Vietnam. He left behind a vast body of work that has had a substantial impact. The poem "When the Cuckoo Calls" is one of his most highly regarded creations.

Written while he was imprisoned by the enemy in Thừa Phủ prison, the poem expresses the suffering of a revolutionary. The more a revolutionary desires to serve the cause and fight, the more suffocated and oppressed they feel when confined within the four walls of a prison, witnessing time drag on while the spirit of resistance burns fiercely outside.

The title, "When the Cuckoo Calls," refers not only to the passage of time but also symbolizes a moment when nature awakens. It echoes the revolutionary's own burning desire for action. The call of the cuckoo powerfully impacts the poet, as it signals the arrival of summer and symbolizes freedom of flight, which deeply resonates with the poet, who is imprisoned. The cuckoo's call, filtering through the prison bars, reaches the poet’s soul, stirring his melancholy:

"When the cuckoo calls the flock,

The rice is ripening, and the fruit is sweetening."

The cuckoo's call awakens the poet’s soul when "the rice is ripening" and the fruit is "sweetening." The author uses the phrase "ripening" rather than "ripe," suggesting that summer is slowly approaching. The poet wishes that time would slow down so that he can savor every moment. But it’s not just that—the cuckoo’s call evokes an entire world of colors and sounds:

"The shaded garden hums with cicada songs,

The cornfield is golden, the yard is full of sunshine,

The sky is vast and endless,

Two kite birds tumble in the air."

In the prison, the revolutionary longs for the sound of cicadas, the sight of the golden cornfield. These are ordinary sights and sounds from everyday life that the poet yearns for so intensely. In the dark confines of prison, the natural light and open sky seem like luxuries that are out of reach.

The clear blue sky and the hum of cicadas are further enriched by the image of "two kite birds tumbling in the air," symbolizing freedom and the desire to soar in harmony with nature. Only a poet who deeply loves nature, who feels in tune with it, and who yearns to live within it, could create such a vibrant and fresh image of nature.

The beauty of nature is not seen directly by the poet, but imagined through the call of the cuckoo summoning the flock. The poet uses all his senses—hearing, smelling, and feeling—to experience the sounds, outlines, and colors of summer. In just six lines, the poet paints a scene of rural Vietnam that resonates with the peacefulness of any Vietnamese village.

Seeing this nature, the poet is even more pained by his own fate, as the bird outside is free to soar in the sky, while he is trapped within the prison’s walls, unable to move freely in the world outside. In a time of imprisonment, the colors of the fields and the sky become priceless. Ordinary sounds and sights suddenly appear radiant and magical.

Young and passionate, full of life and longing for freedom, the poet is imprisoned in the darkness of the prison, yet his spirit, attuned to the world outside, is filled with these feelings. The poem uses vivid and concrete imagery, with carefully chosen words that evoke strong visual effects. Notably, the poet employs listing to create an impression of a rich and abundant summer and a fervent desire for youth’s freedom.

The imagery of summer’s beauty in the poet’s mind while imprisoned reflects a fiery and uncontrollable longing for freedom. This passage gives us a deeper understanding of the inner beauty of the young revolutionary. The soldier who sacrifices himself for a noble cause has a rich, vibrant inner world, deeply connected to the rhythm of life, deeply devoted to the homeland’s fields. The tone of the poem shifts from yearning nostalgia to frustration in the following lines:

"I feel summer awakening within,

And my feet want to stomp the room, oh summer!

How suffocating, I feel like I’ll die,

The cuckoo calls outside, never stopping."

Summer has arrived in the land of Vietnam, in the countryside and in the sky. Summer stirs the poet’s inner yearning and compels him to act. The summer of the earth and sky continues to infiltrate the poet’s soul, urging him to escape the prison and unite with the natural world, to soar alongside the birds and the landscape. The overwhelming sounds push the poet to "break out of the room," to break free from the bars and tight quarters, to liberate himself.

The rising frustration within the poet makes him want to escape the suffocating environment, to feel the expansive freedom of nature. The cuckoo’s call creates a contradiction in the communist soldier’s soul. While summer, full of vitality, is approaching, the poet remains imprisoned.

The external world impacts the poet, causing suffocation and an overwhelming desire to break free. But reality makes it impossible, forcing him to voice his sorrow. This is the expression of the longing for freedom, the desire to contribute to the revolutionary cause. The cuckoo’s call seems to be a call from life, a call from the revolution urging the poet to join the fight for the revolution, for the people.

The cuckoo’s call for the flock evokes an immense, vibrant space, but the wider and brighter this world becomes, the more suffocating the poet feels in prison. The cuckoo’s call at both the beginning and the end of the poem symbolizes the desperate call of nature, inviting the poet. Yet, the poet’s feelings when he hears the cuckoo’s call each time are completely different.

At first, the cuckoo’s call opens up a vast, colorful world of everyday life, as summer comes to the villages of Vietnam. But later, the same cuckoo’s call causes the poet to feel suffocated and trapped, wanting to escape the prison world as quickly as possible. But the harsh reality of imprisonment makes the poet’s frustration and discomfort grow.

The poet uses simple yet evocative imagery in the poem, employing the flexible and natural form of lục bát (Vietnamese verse), along with deep, heartfelt emotions that reflect the communist’s vigorous spirit. The poem is a heartfelt song of longing, calling out to the countryside and the free sky, expressing a fiery desire for freedom. The poem also reflects the true beauty of the communist who is always eager to serve the revolution and the people.