Top 5 Best Essays on 'Collection of Satirical Folk Songs'

• AFTER READING

Question 1: What activity does folk song No. 1 describe? What clues lead you to this conclusion?

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The first folk song describes the activities of fake fortune tellers practicing superstitions. The author highlights superstitious and "illusory" details with onomatopoeic words like "chập chập" and "cheng cheng" from drums and gongs.

Question 2: What is criticized in folk song No. 1? Why is this target criticized?

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This folk song mocks and satirizes fake fortune tellers. It exposes their deceptive practices for personal gain. Through these verses, the ancient Vietnamese expression of contempt and ridicule towards such figures is evident. It also serves as a warning for those who believe in superstitions like the ones depicted in the song.

Question 3: What contrast does folk song No. 2 create? What character traits of the cat and the relationship between the cat and the mouse are illustrated in the song?

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Folk song No. 2 creates a contrast between two entities: the cat and the mouse.

The song highlights the deception of the cat and the cunning of the mouse. The underlying message is about how the strong prey on the weak, and the powerful often disguise themselves with a false, hypocritical face.

Question 4: In folk song No. 3, what does the student sell to raise funds for a wedding? What is your opinion on the student's wedding gifts? Could these be realistic in practice?

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In folk song No. 3, the student sells various possessions like a bowl, river, hundreds of stars, and countless animals to raise funds for a wedding. The extravagant wedding gifts, such as 100 stars, 100 pieces of silk, and 1,000 pigs, are clearly unrealistic. The student is using them to mock the exaggerated dowry demands of the bride-to-be.

Question 5: What social custom is criticized in folk song No. 3? Does the criticism create tension? Why or why not?

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Folk song No. 3 critiques the custom of exaggerated dowry demands. The satire is humorous and playful. The student is clever and bold, making no attempt to negotiate but instead presenting even more extravagant offerings than requested. This over-the-top gesture may seem comical, but it highlights the student's deep affection for the bride and his respect for her. The exaggerated dowry demands are a symbol of his respect and understanding of the bride's family.

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Question 1: What are the thematic and artistic values of the collection of satirical folk songs?

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• Thematic value: The folk songs satirize and criticize human flaws and societal vices.

• Artistic value: The use of contrast and opposition enhances the effectiveness of the expressions in the text.

Question 2: What are the main themes in the collection of satirical folk songs?

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• Folk song No. 1: Satirical commentary on fake fortune tellers and their deceptive practices.
• Folk song No. 2: Illustrates the contrast between the cat and the mouse, symbolizing the hypocrisy of the powerful and the wisdom of the weak.
• Folk song No. 3: Critiques the social custom of demanding an excessive dowry in the past, using humor and irony.

The structure includes three parts:

• Part 1: Folk song No. 1 criticizes those practicing superstitions and exploiting others.
• Part 2: Folk song No. 2 criticizes dishonesty and hypocrisy in people.
• Part 3: Folk song No. 3 critiques the excessive dowry tradition in ancient society.

Satirical Folk Poems

* Main content: The collection of satirical folk poems not only highlights the cultural beauty of the Vietnamese people, but also exposes social contradictions, criticizing the flaws, vices, and absurdities of certain individuals and events in society. The laughter found in folk poetry ranges from lighthearted and playful to bitter, reflecting social injustice and sharply criticizing human flaws.

I. After reading:

Question 1: What activity of humans does the first folk poem discuss? How can we identify this?

Answer:

• The first folk poem discusses the activities of fraudulent fortune tellers practicing superstitions.
• Evidence: The poem opens with superstitious and illusory details expressed through the rhythmic sounds of drums and gongs: "chập chập", "cheng cheng".

Question 2: Which group of people does the first folk poem criticize? Why are they criticized?

Answer:

• The first folk poem criticizes charlatan fortune tellers.
• These people are criticized for using deceptive, superstitious words to mislead others and exploit them for personal gain.

Question 3: How does the second folk poem create contrast? What are the characteristics of the cat and its relationship with the mouse?

Answer:

• The second folk poem creates contrast using the elements: cat and mouse.
• The cat's nature: deceitful, cunning, pretending to visit but actually to catch the mouse.
• The relationship between the cat and the mouse: They are eternal enemies, with the cat hunting the mouse for food. Their relationship is one of elimination.

Question 4: In the third folk poem, what items does the student sell to afford the wedding dowry? How do these items reflect the student's financial situation? Are these realistic?

Answer:

• In the third folk poem, the student sells everything he has to raise money for the dowry.
• The items listed for the dowry by the poor student include: a hundred stars, a hundred red silk fabrics, a hundred buffaloes, a thousand pigs, eight thousand pigeons, eighty thousand coins, a jar of gold flowers, ten jars of gold dust, three jars of honey, ten baskets of mosquito oil.

→ These items are clearly unrealistic, representing the student's sarcastic response to the girl's exaggerated dowry demand.

Question 5: What outdated custom does the third folk poem criticize? Does the way it criticizes create tension? Why?

Answer:

The third folk poem criticizes the outdated custom of dowry demands in ancient society. The criticism is humorous and playful. The student is witty and bold, showing no signs of negotiating the dowry down but instead presenting an absurdly extravagant dowry. If the girl demands "twenty-eight" or "ninety-nine" stars, the student offers "one hundred stars from the sky". His love for her is so strong that he doesn’t let the dowry stand in the way, and he seems to understand the girl's mindset, responding to her demands in kind. Offering an exaggerated dowry also shows the student's respect for the girl's dignity and his deep empathy for her.

Question 1 (Page 112, Literature Textbook 8, Volume 1)

What activity is described in the first folk song? What clues lead you to this conclusion?

Method of solving:

Carefully read the text to answer the question.

Detailed answer:

The first folk song discusses the activities of fraudulent fortune tellers who practice superstitions. The beginning of the verse highlights superstitious and illusory details through the onomatopoeic sounds of drums and gongs like "chập chập", "cheng cheng".

Question 1. What human activity is described in the first folk song? What evidence supports this conclusion?

The first folk song discusses the activities of fraudulent fortune tellers who engage in superstitions. The opening lines of the verse highlight superstitious details and the "illusory" nature through the onomatopoeic sounds of drums and gongs like "chập chập", "cheng cheng" as clues to identify this.

Question 1. What human activity is described in the first folk song? How can you tell?

• The first folk song describes an offering ceremony.
• This can be inferred from the sounds mentioned, like “chập chập, cheng cheng,” which evoke the noises of gongs and drums, along with imagery of the priest, chicken, and sticky rice.

Question 2. Who is being criticized in the first folk song? Why is this person criticized?

The song criticizes the priest who conducts the ritual. The priest is portrayed as greedy and dishonest, more concerned with the offerings—chicken and sticky rice—than with the sincerity of the prayer. The offerings must be plentiful to please the priest, and if he is displeased, the ceremony is thought to be ineffective. The success of the ritual seems to depend more on the offerings than the devotion of the host.

Question 3. How does the second folk song create contrast? What does it reveal about the cat and mouse, and their relationship?

• The second folk song contrasts the characters of the cat and mouse, highlighting their natural conflict. The cat hunts the mouse, yet in this case, the cat pretends to be friendly while secretly planning to capture it.
• The cat symbolizes hypocrisy, while the mouse represents cunning. Their relationship not only reflects the natural predator-prey dynamic but also serves as a metaphor for the struggle between the powerful and the weak in society.

Question 4. In the third folk song, what does the student sell to raise money for a wedding? How would you evaluate the student’s wedding offerings? Could this be realistic in real life?

• The student “sells” the sea and rivers—natural elements that he doesn’t own, making such a transaction impossible in reality.
• The offerings listed by the student include: hundreds of stars, dozens of silk sheets, a hundred cows, a thousand pigs, thousands of pigeons, eighty thousand coins, a jar of golden flowers, ten jars of gold rice, hundreds of silver trays, three jars of honey, and ten baskets of mosquito fat. These exaggerated items are impossible to acquire.

Question 5. What social custom is criticized in the third folk song? Does the criticism create tension? Why or why not?

The third folk song criticizes the tradition of extravagant bridal demands in old society. Rather than creating tension, it uses humor through exaggerated language, which brings laughter instead of stress.