Top 6 Best Essays Analyzing the First 4 Lines of Xuân Diệu's Poem 'Vội vàng' (Literature 11) That You Should Read

If one were to find a poem that best expresses Xuân Diệu's distinctive style, it would surely be 'Vội vàng.' This work eloquently conveys the poet's urgent emotions toward life, symbolizing the passionate fervor of youth. Xuân Diệu's poetry often exudes a sense of haste and excitement, full of fervent joy and deep sorrow, a blend of intensity that defines his perspective on life. (as Hoài Thanh suggested) It's often said that 'Vội vàng' is the clearest self-expression of Xuân Diệu’s life philosophy. As such, the poem can be interpreted as a lyrical essay emphasizing this: Life on Earth is beautiful, and I wish to capture it. The laws of time and creation prevent eternal youth, so I must live with greater urgency, savoring every moment, every second.

The recognition that time and youth pass irretrievably is an ancient philosophical notion, but what sets Xuân Diệu apart is how he conveys this idea through poetry, blending intense emotional turmoil with reflections on life, love, and youth.

The first four lines of the poem reveal the poet’s voice as he declares a desire to challenge the laws of nature and preserve the beauty of life eternally:

"I want to stop the sunlight,

So its color doesn't fade away;

I want to trap the wind,

So the fragrance won't drift away."

The repetition of the phrase 'I want' at the beginning of each line emphasizes a deep longing, a desire to live fully, to connect with nature, and to seize the beauty unfolding in the world. Xuân Diệu seems to be attempting to defy the very rules of nature itself. Sunlight and wind are natural phenomena, yet the poet wishes to 'stop the sunlight' and 'trap the wind.' These are impossibly difficult tasks, practically impossible—but Xuân Diệu's yearning is so intense that it defies logic. The verbs 'stop' and 'trap' further intensify this passion. This is the 'I' of Xuân Diệu—unique, new, and vivid—creating a distinct feeling for the reader. He wants to capture the springtime beauty of life, to live and love more passionately.

The French romantic poet Baudelaire once lamented, 'Oh, the pain! Oh, the pain! Time devours life.' For him, the passage of time was a source of suffering. However, Xuân Diệu's response to time's relentless march is one of urgency, a frantic desire to live before time runs out.

In these first four lines, Xuân Diệu expresses an almost absurd and wild wish: to stop the sunlight and trap the wind. These desires are absurd because stopping the sun and trapping the wind are actions only nature can perform. In contrast, Chế Lan Viên viewed life as ultimately meaningless and filled with suffering, rejecting the beauty of spring in favor of the remnants of autumn. Yet Xuân Diệu’s approach is radically different. The poet seeks to strip nature’s power away from the Creator, desiring to preserve the beauty of life indefinitely. In his wild wish, Xuân Diệu aims to immortalize beauty, ensuring it continues to bloom and spread its fragrance eternally. This is a profound, humanistic desire of an artist’s soul.

In Xuân Diệu's poetry, each reader enters a new world—one of nature and love. Xuân Diệu encourages us to live fully with the world around us, embracing what life and the Creator have gifted us. We must not just observe but live with these moments. Live urgently, not prepare to live urgently.

From the very beginning of his poetic journey, Xuân Diệu seemed to have chosen a life mission: to live for love and to worship love itself! He dedicated himself with a burning heart, a passionate life, and an eagerness to write love poetry! When we think of Xuân Diệu, it's impossible not to mention works like 'Vội vàng,' 'Đây mùa thu tới,' and 'Thơ duyên' from his debut poetry collection 'Thơ thơ' – a gift from the 'king of love poetry' to the world.

His poetry gently touches the hearts of poetry lovers, delicate and refined like the poet himself, leaving an indelible impression on readers' souls. Xuân Diệu’s poetry resonates with a passionate freedom, richness, and subtlety in the inner life of the poet. His work is like a sweet, intoxicating love song...real to every breath!

The beauty of spring, however, is not unique to Xuân Diệu. Centuries ago, poets also wrote about the love for life, spring, and nature. But to love so fiercely and express such bold, unusual desires, like Xuân Diệu, was something entirely new and intense. What is particularly striking is the poet’s way of expressing himself. In classical poetry, the prominent feature was often the absence of the self; the lyrical 'I' would hide behind the natural imagery. In contrast, Xuân Diệu boldly reveals his lyrical self:

"I want to stop the sunlight

So its color doesn’t fade away,

I want to trap the wind

So the fragrance doesn’t drift away."

To call Xuân Diệu a new poet is certainly not an exaggeration! While romantic poets of the past envisioned paradise as a celestial realm, a place filled with clouds, wind, and moonlight, Xuân Diệu’s view of poetry is much more grounded—he believes that earthly life is the true source of happiness, the most beautiful and vibrant place of life. His romantic poetry always conveys an intense passion for the outer world, the other, and a powerful longing for connection with life, an overwhelming desire to live fully.

It seems that his love for life has transformed his desires—like wanting to 'stop the sunlight' and 'trap the wind'—into bold and even anxious concerns about the changing world. He wants to embrace everything, to preserve nature's beauty in its purest form. His desire to stop time, halt the universe’s cycle, and reverse the laws of nature reflects a longing to seize control from the Creator. Yet in this absurdity, there is also a beautiful, romantic soul at work. For him, life is an extraordinary, wondrous happiness, meant to be savored and given in full. Xuân Diệu perceives the world as a paradise on Earth, a grand feast of life. He experiences it with all the sensitivity of a soul consumed with longing, so life appears as a world full of springtime love. This paradise of color and fragrance appears in 'Vội vàng' like a garden of love, everything in bloom, like a tempting feast, or like a lover full of allure.

Someone once said, 'Xuân Diệu is intoxicated with love and eager for spring, immersing himself in sunlight, trembling with butterflies and birds, his heart filled with the pure colors of the sky.' Through his poem 'Vội vàng,' Xuân Diệu brought a new wave of poetry to Vietnam—bold, unique, with a fresh tone and word usage, breaking traditional rhythms. He captures life through all the senses, with a heart brimming with love. 'Vội vàng' offers a beautiful artistic perception with deep humanistic meaning. It speaks of a love for people, life, nature, youth... and the intense desire to hold on to time, to savor the sweetness of the world in its youthful, vibrant state. Perhaps Xuân Diệu was born in this romantic land to sing about love, to dance in the rhythms of passion! Xuân Diệu’s poetry moves quickly with the pulse of time.

Xuan Dieu is the poet of spring, love, and youth. These are the three central themes in his poetry before the August Revolution. The first four lines of his poem 'Voi Vang' express a passionate love for life, a life force that can hardly be contained.

It can be said that in classical poetry, few poets dared to boldly assert their individual 'I,' but with the advent of the New Poetry movement, Xuan Dieu’s 'I' emerged in a truly unique way:

"I want to stop the sunlight

So its color won’t fade away,

I want to trap the wind

So the fragrance won’t drift away."

Spring, the most beautiful season of the year, mirrors youth—the most beautiful period in a person’s life. The four five-word lines in the poem serve as an introduction, asserting the poet’s desire to defy nature. Xuan Dieu yearns to halt time and preserve the most precious, memorable moments. He wants to keep the sunlight so that 'its color doesn’t fade,' and to keep the wind so that life remains full of fragrance. His desire to 'stop the sunlight' and 'trap the wind' expresses humanity’s wish to control nature.

This wish is both reasonable, as the poet 'deeply loves this quiet land' (Hoai Thanh), and unreasonable, as humans cannot resist the laws of nature. How can one grasp or control things that are fragile, fleeting, and unable to last forever? These wishes can only be fulfilled by some magical power.

At the same time, this longing reveals Xuan Dieu’s intense passion for life and his view of time. Time flows in one direction, and once it passes, it cannot be regained. Thus, the poet’s desire to hold onto the sunlight and wind is a yearning to experience the full beauty of the world.

The poetic lines, written in five words, convey the sincere yet bold wish of 'the most modern poet of the modern poets' (Hoai Thanh). The appearance of the lyrical 'I' breaks free from the constraints of classical literature. The lyrical persona confidently claims 'I' without hiding behind the collective 'we' of the people or the nation. For Xuan Dieu, the 'I' is his reason for living:

'I am One, I am Unique, I am First

There is nothing that binds me with others.'

(Himalayas)

The repetition of structure and form in the first and third lines, and the second and fourth, along with the rapid, urgent rhythm, further emphasize Xuan Dieu’s wish to seize the power of creation.

Through analyzing the first four lines of 'Voi Vang' by Xuan Dieu, we see a soul brimming with youthful exuberance, a desire to live fully, and an unrestrained longing to immerse oneself in a world full of vibrant colors and fragrances, a theme that will be vividly expanded upon throughout the rest of the poem.

When discussing Xuan Dieu, the poet The Lu once shared: "Xuan Dieu is a person of life, a person among humans. His poetry is built on the foundation of a worldly heart." Indeed, when reading Xuan Dieu's poetry, we find that the beauty he perceives exists right here in this world—beautiful and intimately close. Behind this beauty, we can reflect on the philosophies and subtle messages the poet cleverly and delicately conveys. Reading his poem 'Voi Vang,' we can distinctly feel these qualities. The first four lines of this poem have, and will always, leave a lasting mark on the reader's soul.

The sense of urgency seems to be expressed in the first four lines of the poem. The five-character stanza, the only one in the poem, contrasts with the mostly eight-character verses. The eight-character verse form evokes the traditional ca tru style and Xuan Dieu’s use of it demonstrates a new element of modern poetry. Meanwhile, the use of short lines in this case creates a hurried tone, much like the breathless urgency of a person overwhelmed by emotion.

Moreover, Xuan Dieu begins with the two-character phrase "I want," and the lyrical subject immediately emerges. The poet boldly expresses the 'I,' without hiding or evading it, an 'I' full of challenge, opposing the classical poetry where few dared to show their personal 'I.' The poet provocatively challenges the aesthetics of the previous era, intending to assert his 'I' with a great desire—a desire to seize the power of creation and do what only nature itself can do, such as 'stop the sunlight' and 'trap the wind.'

Such an unusual wish from the poet: a wish to reverse the laws of nature—a wish that is impossible:

I want to stop the sunlight

So its color won’t fade away

I want to trap the wind

So the fragrance won’t drift away

Wanting to "stop the sunlight," wanting to "trap the wind"—such strange desires can only be found in a poet. But how can one defy the laws of nature? How can one make fragile, fleeting things eternal? This strange yearning unveils an overwhelming, boundless love for the world, full of vibrant colors and rich fragrances.

However, in the poet’s expression, ‘stopping the sunlight’ and ‘trapping the wind’ are not the final desires, as the even-numbered lines of the stanza all begin with the word 'so.'

So its color won’t fade away,

......

So the fragrance won’t drift away.

This wild ambition also stems from a desire to preserve the beauty of life. The lines evoke a sense of worry that beauty will lose its fragrance, and the sunlight will become less brilliant if it continues to spread, and the fragrance will fade if the wind keeps blowing. The desire becomes even more earnest when the poet uses the word 'don’t' twice—revealing a heartfelt wish. Every word in these four lines expresses an endless longing for life, a consuming passion, a greedy desire to keep the beauty and life within creation.

In ancient views, life is a place of worldly suffering. This is why many people choose to withdraw from life, seeking peace of mind through religion or literature. It’s no coincidence that Buddhism emphasizes the beauty of Nirvana, portraying the Western Paradise as a utopia, and both ancient Chinese literature and medieval Vietnamese literature glorify nostalgia, encouraging a return to the lost golden past as though searching for a lost paradise. Xuan Dieu and his generation discovered something different.

Gently yet profoundly, the messages Xuan Dieu conveys through his poetic images and vivid, evocative language leave lasting impressions on readers’ minds. Through the first four lines of the poem, it’s clear that many readers not only grow fond of Xuan Dieu’s poetry but also treasure his works even more, especially admiring and respecting the skill and delicacy of this great artist.

Xuan Dieu is one of the most recent poets among the new generation of poets, with a poetic soul that embodies a deep, passionate voice of love for life, people, and an intense yearning for connection with the world. Xuan Dieu’s poetry is subtle, evocative, and unique both in its material and in its poetic technique. 'Voi Vang' is not only the most outstanding poem in the collection 'Poetry'—the poet’s debut work dedicated to the world—but also the finest poem of his entire creative life. The poem serves as both a surge of emotion and a living manifesto of a poet eager to embrace life. The first four lines are the most beautiful, vividly expressing the poet's intense love and passion for the beautiful world around him.

From the very first lines, Xuan Dieu does not hesitate to openly express his powerful desire to live fully in the world.

"I want to stop the sunlight

So its color won’t fade away;

I want to trap the wind

So the fragrance won’t drift away."

These are bold, almost reckless desires, perfectly reflecting Xuan Dieu’s character. The poet wants to "stop the sunlight," wants to "trap the wind," desires to defy the laws of nature. Above all, Xuan Dieu is aware that no sunlight is as beautiful as the spring sunshine, and nothing is as refreshing and delightful as the fragrance of flowers carried on a gentle breeze. Therefore, he feels a deep sorrow at the thought of sunlight fading away, or the wind carrying away the sweet fragrance of flowers. He wonders, what would remain of that beautiful, exquisite spring—the very spring he has always longed for, desired, and embraced passionately throughout his life?

This is why the poet expresses his burning desire to go against the harsh laws of nature, to rise above the universe’s grand design and leave behind the best, most beautiful things for the world: the soft, gentle sunlight, the vibrant hues of spring, and the magical fragrance of countless flowers in bloom. In truth, Xuan Dieu is attempting to "stop the sunlight" and "trap the wind" in order to savor them alone—without thinking of anyone else! Xuan Dieu is a poet with an oddly selfish heart, passionately yearning for what few would care for, in a frantic rush, making people pity him but not blame him. In the first four lines, two fascinating aspects of the 'I' emerge—one being bold and defiant, challenging nature and the universe to achieve personal desires, and the other being innocent, like a child, filled with wild dreams that are absurd yet full of youthful vitality and boundless energy. The harmony of these seemingly contradictory 'I's creates a unique portrait of the poet, a distinctive tone in a world full of other literary talents.

The love for nature, a timeless sentiment for artists, is felt in a special way by Xuan Dieu—the 'newest poet among the new poets' (Hoai Thanh). It seems as if every one of the poet's senses is in tune with the sounds and colors of nature, welcoming both the tangible and the intangible essence of creation. This desire leads to action, a yearning to preserve life and enjoy its beauty. It reflects the author’s passion for living when spring unexpectedly arrives.

Viên Mai once said, “To be a person, one should not have ego. But in poetry, one cannot lack ego.” Indeed, if a poet does not find their own distinct path or unique style, their work will not withstand the ravages of time. The New Poetry movement of 1930-1945 is the stage for ego. In this period, Xuân Diệu stands out with the title of being “the most modern among the new poets.” This can be immediately observed in the opening four lines of his poem “Vội vàng”:

“I want to turn off the sunlight

So the colors do not fade away

I want to tie the wind

So the fragrance does not fly away”

Xuân Diệu (1916-1985), pen name Trảo Nha, was a poet who blended the hardworking spirit of his impoverished hometown of Hà Tĩnh with the passionate soul of his mother's coastal hometown in Quy Nhơn. Xuân Diệu lived, worked, and dedicated himself fully to life. He was a person who loved life, cherished youth, and had a profound understanding of time’s value. As a result, Xuân Diệu seemed to experience a crisis upon realizing the lonely ego of the bourgeois intellectual in an era under colonial rule. Even with just these four short lines in “Vội vàng,” the reader can grasp these themes.

The opening lines of this free verse poem employ a concise, five-syllable meter, both brief and direct, yet they encompass the entire poem’s inspiration. These lines could be considered the lifelong aspiration of Xuân Diệu, even if they are somewhat fantastical and strange.

“I want to turn off the sunlight”

“I want to tie the wind”

The phrase “I want” serves as a declaration of a self-assured and proud ego before life. By positioning the pronoun “I” at the forefront and pairing it with the verb “want,” Xuân Diệu seems to overturn the rigid conventions of earlier poetry.

Traditional poetry focused on national issues or matters of state survival. Any personal style that existed typically hid behind the collective “ta.” However, with the New Poets, including Xuân Diệu, this self-denying tone was entirely broken.

What does this ego speak of? It expresses a desire to “turn off the sunlight” and “tie the wind.” The poet seems to reach out, attempting to seize the powers of creation, to alter the fundamental laws of the universe. Like Don Quixote, who thought he could defeat the windmills, Xuân Diệu’s desire is similarly extravagant. Sunlight and wind belong to the heavens, free from the control of any power. Yet, the poet yearns to “turn off” and “tie” them. These forceful verbs enhance the author’s enthusiasm and confidence.

But unlike Don Quixote, the reason for this extravagant desire is entirely grounded:

“So the colors do not fade away”

“So the fragrance does not fly away”

It turns out the reason is quite simple. Xuân Diệu—the poet of spring, love, youth, and time—fears that the sunlight will lose its brightness, flowers will bloom and wither quickly, and fragrances will soon dissipate. The more Xuân Diệu loves, the more he fears losing it. Therefore, he lives hastily, hurriedly. The two words “don’t” reflect the poet’s heartfelt wish: to preserve the beauty of life, to fully enjoy the vibrancy of this world while still able.

In conclusion, these six concise, distinctive, and creative lines encapsulate the emotions of a poet acutely aware of the life cycle. His fresh perception and belief in living fully with life gave rise to Xuân Diệu’s new and bold style.

The first four lines of the poem “Vội vàng” carry an element of surprise, a touch of absurdity, and a certain endearing quality that reflects the image of Xuân Diệu. These lines reveal a soul passionate, living hastily, and with an insatiable desire for a world full of vibrant colors and rich fragrances, which will later be realized throughout the rest of the poem.