Top 5 Best Analytical Essays on 'Moving Back to the Village' by Nông Quốc Chấn

The poem was written after the victory in liberating the border region, a pivotal achievement in the anti-French resistance: it opened up communication between the resistance zones and socialist countries. However, the poem does not focus on this political meaning. Instead, it highlights the significance of liberation for the life of the indigenous people.

The meaning conveyed by the poem is through a narrative and descriptive technique. The author does not use a political discourse style. The first unique feature is the narrative tone: simple, vivid, and specific. The poem opens with a striking depiction of the victory:

French soldiers are killed, captured in droves

The People's Army retakes the posts

The crowd is as numerous as ants, guns are piled like firewood.

The entire poem maintains this storytelling style, with details of everyday life portrayed in an innocent, natural manner that reflects the concrete thought processes of the indigenous people. The day of victory is like a celebration, so 'the crowd is as numerous as ants.' This metaphor is common, but 'guns piled like firewood' is particular to the mountain people, who live near forests where firewood is an essential part of daily life.

The poem's structure follows the common thought pattern of ordinary people. After the joyful shouts, there is a return to the hardship faced during the enemy occupation, and finally, the depiction of life after liberation. Even readers with limited education in rural areas will find this structure easy to follow. A standout feature of the poem is how the details are expressed.

The scene of fleeing from the enemy: forgetting the Lunar New Year and the Mid-July festival, then the bloodsucking leeches on the roads, the storms, fallen trees, and the bitter struggles. Then, the scene of the enemy raiding: burning, looting, mothers carrying babies, and the elderly going blind... The emotional journey of the child in facing the tragic and heroic death of the father. The author uses the child's perspective to tell the story, blending personal feelings with narrative:

Mother cries, child bows their head and cries

Afraid the French will hear, mother hushes, child is silent

Mother removes her scarf to cover the face of the father

Child unbuttons the father's burial shroud.

The death of one is tragic, and the living are also in agony; the extreme hardship of life reaches a boiling point. Liberation becomes an urgent demand for every person. Fighting the enemy is a necessary response to that hardship. The most impactful details are at the end of the poem—describing the village’s return and life after liberation:

The wind stirs the grass in the dense forest

Mother encourages the child to clear the land and weeds

The road hums with the sound of passing cars

The school is filled with the laughter of children

The smoke from the kitchen rises over the thatched roofs.

The scene of peaceful daily life gradually emerges. The poet doesn't comment or praise explicitly; instead, he simply describes. The subtle details evoke a clear picture of life: the moving grass represents the fields, the smoke from the kitchen signifies peace and warmth. The sound of cars and children’s laughter indicates the bustling joy of the village. The details capture the spirit of the mountains and the life of the local people, while conveying a deep sense of belonging.

The tiger does not dare to give birth in the banana garden

The fruit in the garden ripens and falls on its own.

Liberation, then, signifies the return to life's natural rhythms: everything returns to its rightful place, fruit ripens with the hand of man.

The poem weaves together personal emotions with vivid, carefully observed details. These details are not dense but are like finely carved lines: specific yet universal. This is not just the result of careful observation but the outcome of lived experience. The poet, through living with these experiences, expresses them with authenticity. The poetic essence lies in the everyday life it portrays.

Therefore, this poem exemplifies a distinctive feature of wartime resistance poetry: it describes not only the broad reality of war but also the poet's personal experiences, which merge seamlessly with the larger reality.

Reading the essay 'Moving Back to the Village,' one can feel the heroic spirit of the nation following the victory. This poem was written during the Autumn-Winter Border Campaign of 1950, reflecting the triumphant energy of the nation, providing an immense source of strength for the people and contributing to the glorious success of our people.

The poem 'Moving Back to the Village,' written during the Autumn-Winter Border Campaign of 1950, is the most representative work of Nông Quốc Chấn. Originally composed in the Tày language, it was later translated into common Vietnamese in free verse. In 1951, at the World Youth and Student Festival in Berlin, the poem won second prize, was translated into French, and introduced in European journals.

The poem brought a fresh wave of vitality and a beautiful life to the people amid the brutal war. The poet used contrasting techniques between the painful past and the joy of victory and liberation to celebrate the rebirth of the homeland and the people of the Cao-Bắc-Lạng regions. Right from the opening lines, the author vividly illustrates the glorious victory of our army and the complete defeat of the enemy:

'Mother! Cao-Lạng is completely liberated
'

'The French are dying and being captured in droves'

'The Viet Minh army takes back the posts'

'People as numerous as ants, guns as plentiful as firewood.'

During the Border Campaign, our forces achieved remarkable victories. The enemy’s main route in the Fourth Military Region was severed and destroyed. Our army captured Đông Khê, wiped out the Sàt-tông and Lơ-pa divisions, and thousands of French soldiers 'died or were captured.' The two comparisons 'People as numerous as ants, guns as plentiful as firewood' vividly depict the strength and fighting spirit of our people at that time.

Amid the joyous celebration of victory, a child recalls the long years of hardship and suffering under the brutal French occupation. As they return to their village to 'clear the land and plant crops,' the child reflects:

'For months, we forgot about the Lunar New Year and the Mid-Year Festival,'

'Running from mountains to valleys, bitter in every way.'

During the chaos, the child had to flee to enemy-free regions and had to forget long-standing customs. The ancestral altar grew cold without incense. They endured immense suffering, running from the French invaders: 'Running from mountains to valleys, bitter in every way.'

When the enemy was defeated, the people no longer had to witness such painful scenes, but how could they forget the painful memories of a time of hardship, calamities, and enemies? The rain was relentless, storms and thunder raged, huts collapsed, doors shattered, and the fields were full of pests. The enemy searched, burned huts, looted, and caused immense suffering:

'Gunshots! The French invaders are coming again,'

'They burn the huts to the ground'

'Stealing all the clothes and belongings...'

The poet vividly depicts the people’s desperate flight in the dense forests of the northern border during the early years of the anti-French resistance. The use of enumeration and narration opens up a rich artistic space filled with very real and moving details. The scene of a mother fleeing the enemy, carrying her child, guiding the elderly, while 'Her eyes are blind, not knowing the way,' is heart-wrenching. The father, captured by the enemy, 'Cursed the Viet Minh, fought back the French,' and was cruelly killed:

'The gunshot rang out in a single burst,'

'Father fell to the ground.'

The heartbreaking scene of burying the father is portrayed with deep emotion:

'The relatives were scattered, we didn’t know where to find him'

'There was no coffin, no one to bury him'

'Mother removed the cloth from her face for the father,'

'The child took off his shirt to cover his father.'

'Mother and child carried the father to lay him at the foot of the mountain,'

'Blood on their hands, tears streaming down...'

In the harsh war, death was frequent, and even though they sacrificed themselves for the country and the people, those left behind still mourned deeply. All the painful and tragic scenes were realistically depicted by the poet, full of blood and tears. After the sobs of sorrow came the cry of hatred and vengeance:

'You will die! You brutal French invader.'

'I will tear your bones and flesh apart to vent my rage.'

This passage reflects the nation’s fierce resolve to fight the enemy. No matter how brutal the invaders were, they could never break the people’s spirit. The suffering was over, and in its place was the joy of liberation, the homeland revived, and the vitality of the nation rose powerfully. The sounds of joy filled the vast spaces of Cao-Bắc-Lạng.

There were sounds of 'laughter,' voices echoing, children 'chirping' while heading to school. There were the sounds of cars 'roaring,' of chickens crowing, and of dogs barking. There were delightful and lively images:

'Today, Cao-Bắc-Lạng laughs aloud,'

'We clear the huts, leave the forests, and head to the village.'

'People speak, the grass rustles in the deep forest,'

'The mother tells the child to clear the land.'

At the beginning of the poem, the author uses the word 'no' six times ('Not knowing the way to go, father could not speak, no one supported the elderly woman, no one could find the place, no coffin, no one to bury father') to reflect the overwhelming pain felt by the people. In contrast, in the latter verses, the repetition of 'no' four times highlights the rebirth and resurgence of the nation, the Cao-Bắc-Lạng people standing tall after suffering through dark days. It marks the return of life and the beauty of a warm and prosperous life returning to the people:

'From now on, no more grass-covered paths'

'No tigers dare to give birth in the banana grove.'

'The fruit in the garden no longer fears ripening and falling on its own.'

'The fields will no longer be a place where blood is spilled.'

The last verses of the poem are a farewell to the mother from the child before heading to fight the enemy. This farewell is tied to a pledge to win the battle and bring peace to the nation and return to care for the elderly mother:

'The sun rises! It’s clear now, mother!'

'I will join the army, and you stay home,'

'The French and Americans still kill and steal on our land.'

'I will drive them out, and then I will return to take care of you.'

This poem has left a lasting impression on us, vividly depicting the heroic spirit of the nation during the victorious days, the painful losses the nation endured, and the unwavering resolve to protect the homeland. The poem will forever live in the hearts of readers as a source of strength for the love of the country.

Nông Quốc Chấn was a poet, cultural activist, and a member of the Tay ethnic group from Bac Kan. Starting as a humble teacher, he was quickly enlightened by revolutionary ideas, trained in the fiery trials of war, and became a dedicated official, a cultural activist, and an outstanding poet for the Party and the people.

The poem 'Returning to the Village' was written during the 1950 Autumn-Winter Border Campaign and stands as the most representative work of Nông Quốc Chấn. Originally written in Tay, the poem was later translated by the author into the common language in free verse. In 1951, the poem was awarded second prize at the World Student and Youth Festival in Berlin and was translated into French and introduced in European journals.

The poet uses the contrast between the painful past and the joy of victory and liberation to celebrate the revival and resurgence of the homeland and the people of Cao-Bac-Lang. The poem begins with a call to the mother to announce the joyous news of liberation:

'Mother! Cao-Lang is fully liberated,

The West has been defeated, captured in droves,

Our troops have recaptured the posts,

There are so many people like ants, guns are stacked like firewood.'

This verse brings to life the battlefield of the 1950 Border Campaign. The enemy's stronghold on the Fourth Road has been broken, and the Vietnamese troops have captured Đông Khê, destroyed the Sắc-Tong and Lơ-Pa battalions, and killed or captured thousands of French soldiers. The comparisons of 'people like ants' and 'guns like firewood' vividly depict the fighting spirit and strength of the people at that time.

From the joy of victory, the son recalls the long years of suffering under the brutal French occupation. On his journey back to his old village to 'rebuild the house and clear the weeds,' to 'plow the fields and grow rice, corn, and sweet potatoes,' the son poignantly remembers:

'For months I forgot about the January Tet, forgot about the July full moon,

Running through mountains and ravines, tasting bitterness in every form.'

Long-standing festivals had to be 'forgotten!' Many beautiful traditions of the people had to be abandoned. The ancestral altar grew cold with no incense. The suffering from having to flee from the French forces repeatedly is starkly captured: 'Running through mountains, through ravines, tasting bitterness in every form.' How could one forget the painful memories of hardship and disasters, of torrential rains, fierce winds, thunder, collapsed shelters, and the constant threat of French soldiers who would burn down homes, rob, and bring despair:

'Gunshots! The French are coming to hunt us down,

They burn every shelter to the ground,

They grab everything from our pockets…'

This passage plays like a film, recording the desperate flight through the deep forests of the people in the northern borderlands during the early years of the French resistance. The use of listing and narration opens up an artistic space filled with vivid, heartbreaking details. The image of a mother running from the enemy, carrying her child, guiding her younger siblings, with 'her hand guiding, her shoulders burdened with loads' while being blind and not knowing the way, is a striking picture of the hardship they faced. The father, captured by the enemy, curses the Vietnamese traitors, fights back against the French, and is brutally killed:

'Gunshots echoed, and then a series of shots,

The father fell to the ground, rolling in the dirt.'

The burial of the beloved father is full of tears:

'The shelter is scattered; no one knows where to find him,

No wood, no one to bury father,

The mother removes the veil from his face.

The son takes off his shirt to wrap the body,

The mother and son carry him to the foot of the mountain,

Blood on their hands, tears on their faces…'

These painful, heart-wrenching scenes are vividly portrayed by the poet, filled with blood and tears. After the sobbing, the cry of hatred and vengeance rises:

'You will die! You, the brutal French,

I'll chop your bones and flesh, only then will I be satisfied.'

Through this, we see clearly: blood cannot drown the truth; the weapons of the invaders cannot subdue our people. The second part of the poem celebrates the joy of liberation, the revival of the homeland, and the powerful resurgence of the nation.

The sounds of life return to Cao-Bac-Lang: laughter, chatter, the children's giggles as they head to school. The sound of cars, roosters crowing, and dogs barking fill the air. The once-occupied village is alive with love and hope:

'Today, Cao-Bac-Lang is laughing aloud,

Leaving the shelters, the people are heading back to the village,

Talking, the grass rustles in the thick fields,

The mother advises the child to plow the land and clear the weeds.'

The rebirth of life, the peaceful return to village life, is signaled by the smoke rising from the thatched roofs. It took much bloodshed and sacrifice to achieve that sweet sight. In the first part of the poem, the poet repeats 'no' six times (not knowing the way, father can't speak, no one to support the elderly mother, no place to find him, no wood, no one to bury father) to express the immense pain. In the second part, the repetition of 'no' four times highlights the reality of resistance: the resurgence and strength of our people, the ethnic groups of Cao-Bac-Lang:

'From now on, no more grass covering the paths.

The tigers won't dare give birth in the banana groves,

The fruits in the garden will not ripen and fall by themselves,

The fields will no longer be soaked with blood.'

Once again, Nông Quốc Chấn succeeds in using listing to vividly convey the joy of victory and the revival of the homeland after liberation. The last four verses of the poem are a farewell from the child to the elderly mother, as the child heads to the front to fight. The mother stays behind, while the child vows to expel the French and American invaders.

The image of 'the sun rising clearly' symbolizes the victory of the resistance, the revolution, the great change, and the rising joy in people's hearts. The mother's farewell is full of love and tenderness, as the child sets out full of determination and confidence:

'The sun is shining clearly, mother dear!

I go to the army, you stay home,

The French and Americans still kill and rob our land,

We will drive them out, I’ll come back to look after you.'

'Returning to the Village' stands as one of the most remarkable achievements of the resistance poetry during the French war. It is even more prideful because it is a song, a beautiful wildflower of the Tay ethnic group, a heartfelt expression of a beloved child. Over half a century later, the poem still evokes deep emotions.