Top 5 Best Lessons on 'Iconic and Imitative Words'

1. What are iconic and imitative words?

a) Iconic words are words that evoke images, shapes, or states of objects. Most iconic words are reduplicative.

Examples:

- Iconic words describing human appearance: hunched, graceful, proud, leisurely; clumsy, sluggish, slow, stumbling...

- Describing the appearance of objects: winding, towering, meandering, deep, vast, undulating, crooked, puffing...

- Describing colors: faded, pale, bright, glaring...

b) Imitative words mimic natural or human sounds. (In the term 'imitative word', 'imitative' refers to imitation, and 'sound' refers to sound.) Most imitative words are reduplicative. Some examples:

- Imitative words mimicking human speech: muttering, murmuring, stuttering, shrill, deep, loud, hesitant, babbling...

- Sounds of laughter: hearty, giggling, chuckling, roars, hearty laughs...

- Sounds of water flowing: gushing, trickling, splashing...

- Sounds of wind blowing: howling, rustling, whistling...

- Sounds of birds chirping: tweeting, chirping, twittering...

- Sounds of footsteps: thumping, clattering, pattering...

2. The function of iconic and imitative words

Iconic and imitative words create vivid, specific, and diverse images and sounds. Therefore, they have high descriptive and expressive value. When used in descriptive and narrative writing, these words help bring out natural, dynamic images with various postures, gestures, sounds, colors, and moods. Iconic and imitative words play an important role in contributing to the artistic value of literary works.

EXERCISE GUIDE

Question 1. - To identify iconic and imitative words in sentences by Ngô Tất Tố, read slowly and pay attention to words that evoke images and sounds. For example, in the first two sentences, "Thằng Dần... chỗ chồng nằm", you can identify words like: soàn soạt (imitative), rón rén (iconic).

- Similarly, in other sentences: bịch (hitting her chest...), bốp (... a slap); lẻo khoẻo (weak of the guy...); chỏng quèo (falling over...).

Question 2. Refer to the examples in the textbook and the basic knowledge in section I to find at least five iconic words that describe a person's walking style.

Question 3. Distinguish the meanings of imitative words that describe laughter by examining each term's specific meaning. Look up the words in the Vietnamese dictionary (by Hoàng Phê). Specifically, search for entries under "H" to find ha hả, hì hì, hô hố, hơ hớ. You'll get the following results:

- ha hả: describes loud laughter, expressing great joy and satisfaction.

- hì hì: mimics a soft, nasally laugh, expressing delight with a gentle tone.

- hô hố: imitates loud, coarse laughter that is unpleasant and harsh.

- hơ hớ: mimics very natural, carefree, and hearty laughter.

Question 4. Before making sentences with the given words, understand the meaning of each word (what images or sounds they evoke, what objects or phenomena they refer to...). Then, predict what the sentence will be about, incorporating iconic and imitative words. Here are some examples:

a) The rain trickled down for a moment and then stopped.

b) Sweat on Thành's face dripped steadily.

Make your own sentences with the remaining words.

Question 5* Many poems and verses successfully use iconic and imitative words. Check out some of the following poems where these words are highlighted:

a) Mother said: Hometown, Bảo Ninh

Vast seas and rivers, drifting on the boat's side.

Morning and evening, tides ebb and flow.

Enduring since I was nine or ten.

(Tố Hữu, Mother of Suốt)

b) Far in the distance, behind the tilted houses,

A small wisp of smoke rises in a crooked line...

He laughed joyfully, his laughter roaring

Showing off bright teeth like swords.

(Tố Hữu, Mother of Hậu Giang)

c) Sister Tre combs her hair by the pond,

The White Cloud girl gazes into the mirror,

Uncle Nồi sings in a boisterous voice,

Grandma Chổi limps, bent over inside the house.

(Trần Đăng Khoa, My Morning at Home)

d) The Morning Star flits across the face of the sky,

Nam Tào and Bắc Đẩu are near.

Just passed by the narrow alley,

Already floating in the sky.

The village gate is surrounded by clouds,

All around the fog, scattered and piled.

The buffalo forgets its muddy horns,

Thinking it’s floating up to the Moon.

The banyan tree suddenly bursts out,

Is anyone there? Oh, it's the plowman,

Sitting blowing smoke, puffing tobacco,

Behind him, the fields are flooded with dew.

(Trần Đăng Khoa, In the Early Morning Mist)

I. BASIC KNOWLEDGE

1. What are Imagery Words and Sound Words?

Imagery words are those that evoke images, shapes, or states of things. For example:

clumsy, heavy, small, cumbersome, crooked, smooth, light, etc.
Steep hills, vast valleys, clouds drifting, sky-reaching guns

(Quang Dũng)

Sound words imitate the sounds of nature or humans. For example:

gurgling, laughing, whining, sobbing, clattering, roaring, clicking, etc.
The distant sound of a nightingale
Silence takes over, as village guests rest.
Water and mountains join in joy,
While flowers and moonlight remain forgotten.

(Nguyễn Khuyến)

2. The Purpose of Imagery and Sound Words:

Imagery and sound words, due to their ability to evoke specific images and sounds, are highly expressive. They are often used in descriptive and narrative writing, with most being reduplicated. In poetry, these words enrich the imagery, making the poem emotionally vivid, musical, and captivating.

For example:

The thin body, delicate leaves
How do they rise, forming a fence of bamboo?

Nguyễn Duy

When the bamboo rustles, birds call,
When the water ripples, fish leap.

Tế Hanh

II. PRACTICAL EXERCISES

Question 1. Which of the following words are imagery words and which are sound words?

Close-knit, crowded, rumbling, murmuring, deep, vast, rushing, sparkling, clinking, wandering, slippery, soaring, gaudy, crooked, whistling.

Hint:

1. Imagery words: Close-knit, crowded, deep, crooked…
Sound words: Rumbling, rushing, whistling…

Question 2. Find the imagery reduplicated words in the following lines of poetry:

The autumn pond is cold and clear,
A small fishing boat barely floats.

(Nguyễn Khuyến)

The autumn sky is bright and high,
Bamboo sways in the chilly breeze.

(Nguyễn Khuyến)

Five small houses under the low thatched roof,
The narrow paths are dark, and the fireflies sparkle.

(Nguyễn Khuyến)

The village houses are sparse, hidden behind lush trees. The winding red dirt road curves ahead, greeting and inviting us...

(Tạ Đức Hiền)

Hint:

Imagery reduplicated words: Barely, cold, swaying, dark, sparkling...

Question 3. Differentiate the meanings of the following imagery words:

Floating, wobbly, unsteady.
High, lopsided, crooked.
Hint:

Floating: Drifting aimlessly on water, uncertain of direction.
Wobbly: Floating lightly, gently drifting with the current.
Unsteady: Floating unevenly, unpleasantly erratic.

High, lopsided, crooked:

High: Too tall, appearing off-balance and likely to topple.

Lopsided: Excessive height compared to its width, creating imbalance.

Crooked: Uneven, suggesting instability and imbalance.

Question 4. Identify the sound reduplicated words in this passage:

The bicycle bell rings incessantly. The car horn honks urgently. Water containers clink at the public tap.

The cicadas' shrill cries echo through the trees along the highway. The train's whistle pierces the air, and its wheels rumble along the tracks, racing toward the city.

(Tô Ngọc Hiến)

I. Characteristics and Function

Questions:

a) Among the bolded words, which ones evoke images, shapes, or states of things, and which ones describe sounds of nature or humans?

b) What is the effect of words that evoke images, shapes, states, or mimic sounds in descriptive and narrative writing?

a) Bolded words that evoke images, shapes, or states of things: limp, clumsy, sluggish, disheveled, tangled, clattering.

Words that describe sounds of nature or humans: sobbing, murmuring.

b) Words that evoke images, shapes, states, or sounds create vivid, dynamic visuals, enhancing the expressive power of the text.

Practice

Exercise 1 (page 49, 8th grade Literature textbook, Volume 1)

Identifying imagery and sound words in the following sentences (excerpted from 'Turn Off the Lights' by Ngô Tất Tố):

- Imagery words: sneaky, wobbly, crooked.

- Sound words: rustling, murmuring, thumping, slapping.

Exercise 2 (page 50, 8th grade Literature textbook, Volume 1)

Five imagery words that describe a person’s walk: hunched, tiptoeing, swiftly, clumsily, toddling...

Exercise 3 (page 50, 8th grade Literature textbook, Volume 1)

According to the Vietnamese Dictionary by Hoàng Phê:

- Ha hả: Mimics loud laughter, expressing joy or satisfaction.

- Hì hì: Mimics laughter coming from the nose, a soft sound showing pleasure, gentle in tone.

- Hô hố: Mimics loud and coarse laughter, unpleasant to hear, causing discomfort.

- Hơ hớ: Mimics natural, carefree laughter, without restraint.

Exercise 4 (page 50, 8th grade Literature textbook, Volume 1)

- Spring rain falls lightly on the fresh grass.

- His tears fall like raindrops when he must stop school.

- The mountain-side road winds, meandering sharply.

- His face is dotted with sweat after hours of training.

- The clock ticks relentlessly.

- In the afternoon, on the fields, a flock of ducks waddles home.

Exercise 5 (page 50, 8th grade Literature textbook, Volume 1)

Poems that use imagery and sound words:

- The poem 'Lượm':

The tiny boy

The neat little box

His feet scurrying

His head held high

- The poem 'Forest Music':

Cuckoo! Cuckoo! The forest bird sings in the sun.

Listen! Listen! The forest cicadas call incessantly.

The wind sways the leaves, making music in the trees.

Rustling! Murmuring! The stream winds through clear waters.

Gurgling! Gurgling! Water flows through the bamboo grove.

Leaves fall! Leaves fall! Spinning as the water carries them away...

I. FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS

Read the excerpts from 'Old Man Hạc' by Nam Cao and answer the following questions:

- The old man's face suddenly contorted. His wrinkles pressed together, forcing tears to fall. His head tilted to one side, and his puckered mouth quivered like a child's. He sobbed quietly...

- Hey! Teacher! This animal is clever! It acts as if it's scolding me; it whimpers, staring at me as if to say: 'Ah! This old man is terrible! After all I've done for him, this is how he treats me?'

- I had been at Binh Tư's house for a while when I heard a commotion at Old Hạc’s place. I hurried over. The neighbors had arrived before me and were buzzing around in the house. I rushed in. Old Hạc was struggling on the bed, his hair disheveled, clothes askew, and his eyes wide open, staring wildly.

a) In the bolded words above, which ones describe the image, appearance, or state of things, and which ones mimic the sounds of nature or humans?

b) What is the effect of words that describe images, appearance, state, or mimic sounds in descriptive and narrative writing?

Answer:

a) In the bolded words:

- Words that describe the image, appearance, activity, or state of things: puckered, stumbling, struggling, disheveled, askew, wide-eyed.

- Words that mimic the sounds of nature or humans: sobbing, whimpering.

b) Words that evoke vivid images, activities, states, or sounds create concrete, lively sensations, adding expressive depth to both descriptive and narrative writing.

II. PRACTICE

Answer Question 1 (page 49, 8th grade Literature textbook, Volume 1):

Identify the imagery and sound words in the following sentences.

- Dần was gulping his food while slurping loudly. Chị Dậu tiptoed, bringing a large bowl to where her husband lay.

- He spoke, then slapped Chị Dậu on the chest, slapping her several times before advancing to tie up Dậu.

- The overseer slapped Chị Dậu’s face with a sharp thud, then jumped to stand next to Dậu.

- Chị Dậu grabbed his neck, shoving him toward the door. The weak addict’s speed couldn’t match the forceful push of the strong woman, and he fell clumsily to the ground, still muttering about tying up the couple.

Answer details:

- Imagery words: tiptoe, clumsy, sprawled.

- Sound words: slurping, muttering, slap, thud.

Answer Question 2 (page 50, 8th grade Literature textbook, Volume 1):

Find at least five imagery words that describe a person's walk.

Answer details:

- walking clumsily

- walking hunched

- walking stealthily

- walking briskly

- walking hurriedly

Answer Question 3 (page 50, 8th grade Literature textbook, Volume 1):

Distinguish the meanings of the following sound words for laughter: ha hả, hì hì, hô hố, hơ hớ.

Answer details:

- Ha hả: Mimics loud laughter, expressing great pleasure.

- Hi hi: Mimics laughter coming from the nose, indicating enjoyment, gentle in tone.

- Hô hố: Mimics loud, coarse laughter, unpleasant and grating.

- Hơ hớ: Mimics carefree, joyful laughter, unconstrained.

Answer Question 4 (page 50, 8th grade Literature textbook, Volume 1):

Use the following imagery and sound words in sentences: lightly, dripping, scattered, winding, flickering, ticking, splashing, waddling, grumbling, rushing.

Answer details:

- lightly: The rain kept falling lightly.

- dripping: Tears kept dripping without stopping.

- scattered: The raindrops fell scattered outside.

- winding: The road into my village is winding and narrow.

- flickering: The lights flickered like fireflies at night.

- ticking: The clock kept ticking away.

- splashing: The rain splashed against the banana leaves.

- waddling: The ducks waddled home.

- grumbling: His voice kept grumbling.

- rushing: The wind blew rushing throughout the night.

Answer Question 5 (page 50, 8th grade Literature textbook, Volume 1):

Find a poem that uses imagery and sound words and that you find beautiful.

Answer details:

Hunched under the mountain, a few woodcutters

Scattered by the river, a few houses.

I. FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS

a. - “Puckered, stumbling, struggling, disheveled, askew, wide-eyed”🡪 these are words that describe the image, appearance, or state of things.
- “Sobbing, whimpering” are words that mimic the sounds of nature or human beings.
b. Effect: They evoke vivid images and sounds that are dynamic and rich in emotional value.

II. PRACTICE

Question 1.
- Stealthy, strong farmer, sprawled: These are imagery words.
- Slurping, slapping, thudding, mumbling: These are sound words.

Question 2. Graceful, leisurely, tottering, meandering, hurried, tiptoeing.

Question 3.
- Ha hả: Mimics loud, hearty laughter, expressing delight.
- Hi hi: Mimics shy or embarrassed laughter, gentle in tone.
- Hô hố: Mimics coarse, rude laughter that lacks manners.
- Hơ hớ: Mimics carefree laughter, expressing joy without restraint.

Question 4.
- This morning, the rain fell lightly everywhere.
- Vân cried, her tears fell freely down her cheeks.
- Sweat fell in tiny drops.
- The path to school twisted and wound.
- The pomegranate flowers flickered in the early summer.
- All night long, the clock ticked, ticked.
- On the banana leaves, the rain fell with a splashing sound.
- Lan's ducks waddled into the coop.
- Vân has a deep voice.
- Water flowed down from above with a rushing sound.

Question 5.
In the mist, the fog slowly disappears.
The thatched rooftops shimmer with gold.
(Ripened Spring – Hàn Mặc Tử)
Or
The cold autumn pond water is clear.
A tiny fishing boat drifts.
(Autumn Fishing – Nguyễn Khuyến)