Top 6 Best Analyses of 'Dọn về làng' by Nông Quốc Chấn for Grade 12

A. KEY KNOWLEDGE

1. The Author

The poet Nong Quoc Chan, whose real name was Nong Van Quynh, was born on November 18, 1923, in Coc Dan commune, Ngân Sơn district, Bac Kan province. He belongs to the Tay ethnic group and became a member of the Vietnam Writers' Association in 1958.
He became involved in the revolutionary cause early, participating in the Viet Minh Front, and joined the guerilla forces and the liberation army before August 1945.
After the August Revolution, he continued his activities within the Viet Minh, serving in the provincial committee of Bac Kan, participating in military campaigns, and beginning his work in cultural and artistic activities. After 1945, Nong Quoc Chan joined the Vietnam-Bac Khu Party Committee, became a member of the first National Assembly, Chairman of the Vietnam-Bac Khu Literary and Art Association, and later served as Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Writers' Association.
From 1964 onwards, he continued to take on important state and party responsibilities: National Assembly delegate, Deputy Minister of Culture and Information, Head of Hanoi University of Culture, Principal of Nguyen Du Writing School, Chairman of the Ethnic Minority Cultural and Arts Association, Vice President of the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations, and Editor-in-Chief of the magazine “Toan Canh Su Kien and Du Luan.”

2. Works

Creation Context: This poem was written in 1950, during a period when the poet's homeland was courageously battling against the French colonizers, enduring great suffering but also showing incredible resilience. The poet, aware of the losses and the spirit of the people, wrote this piece.
This poem has earned notable recognition, including being named one of the greatest poems of the 20th century and winning second prize at the TNSV festival in Germany.
Theme: The profound suffering of the people is expressed through vivid images drawn from the everyday lives of ethnic minorities in the mountainous regions.
“Dọn về làng” (Returning to the Village) is a vivid depiction of the people of Cao-Bac-Lang during the resistance against French colonial rule. The poem presents a stark contrast: the dark side portrays the harshness of life and the oppression of the people by the enemy, while the brighter side shows the hopeful revival of life after liberation. The poem’s inspiration comes from the revival of the region post-liberation.

B. EXERCISES AND SOLUTIONS

Question 1 (Page 141 Textbook) How is the suffering of the people in Cao-Bac-Lang and the French atrocities depicted?

Answer:
The suffering of the people:
Through numerous poetic images, Nong Quoc Chan vividly presents the fates of Vietnamese people, especially the ethnic minorities who faced the brutal French invasion:
“Years go by
Forget Tet… forget full moon days…
Running through mountains, bitter and painful…
Collapsed huts; broken doors; leeches clinging
Mother carrying her baby; children trailing behind; bags on shoulders…”
The peaceful life is disrupted, homes are destroyed, families are separated, and hardship reigns.
These images convey the desolation of the people’s lives during the French invasion, as their once stable and prosperous existence is replaced by flight, fear, and despair.
The crimes of the French colonizers:
“Huts burned to the ground, gunshots rang out, the French hunted us down.
Clothes were looted.
Father was captured, beaten to death.
Buried him with mother’s scarf; wrapped him with child’s shirt.
Blood on their hands, tears on their faces…”
The effect of these graphic scenes is to create a powerful emotional impact, stirring the reader with images such as “Father fell,” “covering his face for the husband,” and “blood on their hands.” Through these images, the poet expresses his sorrow, grief, and utter hatred for the French colonizers: “You will die, you brutal French beast. I will tear your bones apart, and only then will I be satisfied.” This crime was not just the theft of food and clothing—it was the theft of lives, which is an unforgivable sin. The poet’s emotions of vengeance and sorrow are deeply embedded in his work.

Question 2 (Page 141 Textbook) What makes the depiction of the joy of Cao-Bac-Lang’s liberation stand out in the opening and closing of the poem?

Answer:
The joy of the people upon liberation is expressed uniquely through vibrant images and language: “Laughter echoes, coming down to the village, people speaking, the grass sways, cars roar on the main road, children’s laughter fills the air…” The frequent use of action verbs conveys the jubilant, carefree emotions of a people whose homeland has been returned to peace.
Notably, the line: “Mother Cao-Lang is finally free—chase all of them away, I’ll return to look after mother” expresses not only the poet’s commitment to his own mother but also evokes the image of the motherland in a more symbolic, universal sense.
With simple, sincere language and powerful, vivid imagery, the poet captures the people’s suffering and their joy at the return of peace after liberation.

Question 3 (Page 141 Textbook) Analyze the ethnic color reflected through the author’s use of imagery.

Answer:
The ethnic identity is clearly portrayed through the poet’s use of simple, everyday words and images: “people like ants, guns like firewood, people speak the language of the forest…”
The author uses informal speech: “you, me…”
The language is familiar, using phrases like “the procession of people,” “forgetting Tet and the full moon in January, forgetting the Mid-Autumn Festival…”
Comparative images are also present: “People as numerous as ants, guns as many as firewood; voices carried by the wind through the dense forest; tigers dare not give birth in the banana garden…”
These expressions reflect the poet’s sincere, honest, and vibrant portrayal of both the pain and the joy of the people, capturing the simplicity and natural beauty of the ethnic minorities in the mountainous regions.

Expanded References
Question 1: The Value of Content and Artistry in “Dọn về làng”
Answer:
1. Content value
The author vividly portrays the suffering of the people during the French war, while also denouncing the barbarity and inhumanity of the French invaders.
The poem highlights the joy and pride of the people as their war-torn homeland is freed from the oppression of the colonizers.
2. Artistic value
The imagery is realistic and lively.
The tone of the poem is full of emotion.
The poet skillfully uses a variety of artistic devices to enhance the poem’s effect.

General Overview of the Work:

Author:

Born as Nong Van Quynh (1923-2002), of the Tay ethnic group, from Bac Kan province.
He joined the revolution before 1945 and held significant positions in the cultural and artistic fields.
Major works include:
Tiếng ca người Việt Bắc (1959)
Đèo gió (1968)
Suối và biển (1984)
A collection of poems in the Tay language.
His poetry is simple, natural, and rich in imagery, characteristic of the mountain people.

Work:

Creation Context: This poem was written in 1950, during a time when the poet’s homeland was courageously fighting against French colonial forces, filled with both pain and valor. The poet, fully aware of the losses and the resilience of the people, wrote this piece.
Theme: The suffering of the people.
Structure: 2 parts:
Part 1: The first 6 lines + the last 15 lines—The joy of returning to the village.
Part 2: The middle 31 lines—The harsh life and the deep hatred of the French among the people of Cao-Bac-Lang.

Question 1: How is the harsh life of the people in Cao-Bac-Lang and the atrocities of the French depicted?

Answer:

The suffering of the people:

When the French colonizers invaded, the devastation of the mountainous people’s lives is shown, where peaceful existence was replaced by fleeing in constant fear and anxiety.
“Years go by
Forget Tet... forget full moon days...
Run through the mountains, bitter and painful...
Collapsed huts; broken doors; leeches clinging
Mother carrying her child; children following; bags full on their shoulders...”
The peaceful life is overturned, homes destroyed, families torn apart, and hardship reigns.
The atrocities of the French:

“Huts burned to ashes, gunshots echoing, the French hunting us down.
Clothes were looted.
Father was captured, beaten to death.
Buried father with mother’s scarf, wrapped him in the child’s shirt.
Blood on their hands, tears flooding their faces…”
These images create a strong impression, striking the reader with vivid depictions such as “Father fell,” “covering the face of the husband,” “blood on their hands...” The French not only stole the people’s wealth but also took their lives. This is an atrocity that cannot be forgiven. Through this, the poet’s attitude is shown: sorrow, pain, anger, and a desire for revenge.

Question 2: What is unique about the portrayal of the joy of Cao-Bac-Lang’s liberation in the opening and closing of the poem?

Answer:

The joy of the people upon liberation is expressed uniquely through vivid imagery and language: “Laughter echoes, descending into the village, people talking, the grass sways, cars roaring down the main road, children’s laughter fills the air...” Frequent action verbs reflect the jubilant, carefree emotions of a people whose homeland has returned to peace.
“Mother Cao-Lang is free—chase them away, I will return to care for mother” → A promise to his mother, while also reflecting deep feelings of reflection. This could refer to the poet’s own mother, but also symbolizes the motherland.
With simple, honest language and genuine emotions, the poet conveys both the suffering and the joy of the mountain people when they were liberated.

Question 3: Analyze the ethnic identity expressed through the poet’s use of imagery.

Answer:

The ethnic identity is conveyed through simple, sincere words and images: people like ants, guns like firewood, people speak as if the grass sways in the forest...

Speech of the ethnic people: you, me…
Everyday words: groups of people; forgetting Tet in January, forgetting the Mid-Autumn Festival in July.
Comparative images: People as numerous as ants, guns as many as firewood; voices carried by the wind through dense forests; tigers dare not give birth in the banana grove; ...

Overview of the Author and the Work

1. Author

- Nông Quốc Chấn (1923 – 2002), born Nông Văn Quỳnh, from the Tày ethnic group, native to Châu Khê village, Ngân Sơn district, Bắc Kạn province.

- He became politically conscious and joined the revolutionary movement before the August Revolution in 1945.

- One of the prominent cultural figures, representing the intellectuals from ethnic minorities who matured through the revolution.

- His poetry is sincere, simple, and natural in expression, rich in imagery.

- Major works: "Tiếng ca người Việt Bắc", "Đèo gió", "Suối và biển", "Việt Bắc đánh giặc"...

- In 2000, he was awarded the Hồ Chí Minh Prize for Literature and the Arts.

2. The Work

- "Dọn về làng" (1950) is a poem about the author's homeland during the painful yet heroic years of the French Resistance.

- The poem won second prize at the World Youth and Student Festival in Berlin and was later translated and published in European journals.

- Structure of the poem:

+ Part 1 (First 6 lines): Expresses the joy of the Cao-Bắc-Lạng region's liberation.

+ Part 2 (Next 31 lines): Depicts the sorrow, grief, and hatred towards the foreign invaders who ravaged the homeland.

+ Part 3 (Last 15 lines): Conveys the joy and hope of returning to a peaceful life as the homeland is restored.

Exercise 1, page 141 of Literature 12, Volume 1
How is the harsh life of the people in Cao-Bắc-Lạng and the atrocities of the French depicted?

Answer: The harsh life of the people in Cao-Bắc-Lạng is shown through images such as:
+ "Many years": the prolonged suffering.
+ "Forgot the Tết (Lunar New Year), forgot the full moon": deprivation of festive traditions.
+ "Running up and down the mountains, bitter...": the struggle for survival.
+ "Collapsed huts, shattered doors, lice infestations": devastation of their homes.
+ "Mother carrying the child, children holding on to their grandmother's back, all with bags on their shoulders...": the displacement and suffering of families.

=> The strong artistic impact of this imagery is to evoke deep emotions, as these vivid depictions touch readers with scenes of grief like "Father falls down, covered his face with a cloth," "Blood on hands..."

- The atrocities of the French invaders:
+ "Huts burned down, gunshots, French soldiers hunting us down." + "Clothes stolen."
+ "Father captured and beaten to death."
+ "Father buried with mother’s scarf, wrapped in child’s shirt." + "Blood on hands, water overflowing..."
=> The author's tone when recounting the French crimes is filled with sorrow, anger, and a strong desire for revenge: "You will die, the brutal French invader, as we tear your bones apart."

Exercise 2, page 141 of Literature 12, Volume 1
What is unique about the portrayal of the joy of Cao-Bắc-Lạng’s liberation in the opening and closing sections of the poem?

Answer: Within the structure of present-past-present, the two segments reflecting the joy of liberation stand in the present time. The opening lines are filled with triumphant joy at the complete liberation of the homeland. The conclusion offers a beautiful picture of the return to the village.

- The joy of the people at the liberation is uniquely expressed through vivid images and words: "Laughter echoes", "Going back to the village", "Children’s joyful chatter", "Cars rumbling on the road"... A dense use of verbs reflects the excitement and happiness as the homeland returns to peace.

- The distinctiveness lies in the images, metaphors, and expressions rooted in the local mountain culture: honest, genuine, simple, and natural.

- The tone is joyful and celebratory (in contrast to the sorrow, anger, and despair in the middle section).

I. Author

I. Author & Work

1. Author

Nông Quốc Chân (1923 – 2002), born as Nông Văn Quỳnh, was of the Tày ethnic group, originally from Châu Khê (now Cốc Đán) village in Ngân Sơn district, Bắc Cạn province.

His most notable contribution to literature lies in poetry, which reflects sincere emotions, simplicity, and vivid imagery that characterizes the way of thinking and expression of the mountain people: straightforward, natural, and rich in images.

2. Work

The poem "Dọn về làng" (Moving to the Village) written in 1950, depicts the author's homeland during the years of the French resistance, a time filled with both suffering and heroism. The poem won second place at the World Festival of Youth and Students in Berlin and was later translated and published in European journals.

II. Guide to Lesson Preparation

Question 1 (page 141, Literature textbook 12, Volume 1):

The hardships of the people in Cao – Bắc – Lạng and the crimes of the French invaders are vividly described:

* The suffering of the people is expressed concretely with familiar words and images from the daily lives of the ethnic mountain communities.

The years...: an extended period of hardship.

Forgetting Tet... forgetting full moon festivals...

Running through mountains and valleys, in bitterness...

Collapsed huts, mountain ravines, leeches crawling...

Mother carrying her child, leading her elderly mother by the hand, with burdens on her shoulders...

→ The disruption of peaceful life, houses destroyed, families torn apart, and life made difficult.

* The crimes of the French invaders:

- They burned every hut and took away the clothes in their bags.

- The soldiers killed the beloved father → these painful details are brought to life: “Father falls... he couldn’t speak anymore.”

- The sorrow of the mother is depicted poignantly:

“Mother removed the scarf from her face for her husband

I took off my shirt to wrap my father’s body”

→ A powerful denunciation of colonial aggression. Through these scenes, the enduring spirit and patriotic feelings of the people are revealed.

Question 2 (page 141, Literature textbook 12, Volume 1):

The unique way of expressing the joy of Cao – Bắc – Lạng's liberation is shown through:

* In the first part of the poem: it is conveyed through images and words such as:

+ “Mother! Cao – Lạng is fully liberated”

+ “The French are defeated, captured in droves”

+ “Taking back the forts”

+ “Rebuilding homes, clearing the fields... planting rice, corn, and potatoes.”

→ A depiction of the joy in returning to a life of freedom, where normal activities can resume.

* The final part of the poem:

- The use of vivid verbs and expressions:

+ “Laughter echoed”

+ “Descending to the village”

+ “Voices stirred the grass”

+ “Cars rumbled along the roads”

+ “Children’s laughter filled the air...”

→ A joyful and exuberant atmosphere as the homeland returns to peaceful life.

“Chase them all away, and I will return to see my mother”

→ A vow expressing determination and a promise to come back.

Question 3 (page 141, Literature textbook 12, Volume 1):

The national identity is reflected through the author's use of imagery:

- A simple yet effective style that conveys the authenticity and warmth of the mountain people.

- The frequent use of similes: “People as numerous as ants, guns as full as baskets...”

→ Specific and relatable depictions.

Answer to Question 1, Page 141, Literature Textbook 12, Volume 1

- The people were forced to abandon their villages and flee (Running through mountains and valleys, bitter with every step/.../...a thick layer of mud on their feet), but the French invaders relentlessly pursued them, pushing them to the brink (They burned every hut to the ground/They took all the clothes from our bags).

- A heartbreaking image of the flight from the enemy: a mountain mother carrying her child, leading another child behind her, and helping her blind mother, with bundles weighing heavily on her shoulders.

- The invaders brought death and separation to the people: fathers torn from their children, wives from their husbands, and children from their fathers: The invaders captured the father and son, they beat.../No one could walk with a cane when the elderly woman passed away.

- A scene of burial, marked by suffering and hardship: No wood for a coffin, no one to bury the father/.../Blood covering their hands, tears flowing down their faces.

=> This reflects the immense loss, suffering, and sacrifices of the highland people, denouncing the horrific crimes of the French colonizers, and expressing profound grief and seething anger towards the enemy.

Answer to Question 2, Page 141, Literature Textbook 12, Volume 1

- The liberation of the homeland is described in a simple, concrete, and natural way, as if speaking directly to the mother: "Mother! Cao – Lạng has been fully liberated/.../...guns as numerous as firewood".

- With overwhelming happiness, the poet envisions returning to the humble, familiar daily life, now full of meaning and joy: "Tomorrow, we will return to the village, repair homes, clear the fields/Plow the fields and plant rice, corn, and potatoes".

- The joyful and spirited scene of returning to the village, and the revival of freedom and self-sufficiency in the homeland, is vividly portrayed: "Today, Cao – Bắc – Lạng is filled with laughter/.../A soft smoke rises from the thatched roofs".

- The emotion and happiness of knowing that the village will once again be warm and bustling, no longer desolate: "From now on, no more overgrown paths/.../...no more blood flowing in the fields".

Answer to Question 3, Page 141, Literature Textbook 12, Volume 1

- The use of vivid, image-rich expressions: "Captured in droves", "People as numerous as ants", "Guns piled high like firewood",...

- The plain and natural language, with expressions that clearly reflect the sincere and deep love for the village and the people of the mountains: "No one could walk with a cane when the elderly woman passed away", "You will feel the bones of your flesh, only then will I be satisfied!", "From now on, no more overgrown paths/.../The fields will no longer become places where blood flows". "Chase them away, and I will return to take care of you, Mother".

Structure

The structure is divided into two parts:

- Part 1: From the beginning to "You will feel the bones of your flesh, only then will I be satisfied!" => The suffering of the people and the crimes of the French invaders.

- Part 2: The rest => The joy of the people when their homeland is liberated.

Main Content

- A vivid portrayal of the suffering of the people during the resistance against French colonialism.

- A denunciation of the brutal and inhumane crimes committed by the French colonizers against our people.