Top 6 Best Lesson Plans for the poem "Nhớ rừng" by Thế Lữ (Grade 8)

I. About the Author and the Work

1. Author

Thế Lữ (1907-1989), born Nguyễn Thứ Lễ, was born in Thái Hà village, Hanoi. His hometown is Phù Đổng village, Tiên Du district (now Tiên Sơn), Bắc Ninh province. In his youth, Thế Lữ studied in Hải Phòng. After finishing his basic education in 1929, he enrolled at the Indochina Fine Arts College, but dropped out in 1930. In 1932, he began to join the Tự lực văn đoàn and became one of the leading writers for the newspapers Phong hoá and Ngày nay. By 1937, he had ventured into theater, working as an actor and director, performing in central provinces, and aspired to develop a national theater. When the August Revolution occurred, he eagerly supported it and moved to Việt Bắc to join the resistance movement.

Thế Lữ published the following works: Mấy vần thơ (poetry, 1935); Vàng và máu (novel, 1934); Bên đường Thiên lôi (novel, 1936); Lê Phong phóng viên (novel, 1937); Mai Hương và Lê Phong (novel, 1937); Đòn hẹn (novel, 1939); Gói thuốc lá (novel, 1940); Gió trăng ngàn (novel, 1941); Trại Bồ Tùng Linh (novel, 1941); Dương Quý Phi (novel, 1942); Thoa (novel, 1942); Truyện tình của anh Mai (short novel, 1953); Tay đại bợm (short novel, 1953). He also wrote many plays: Cụ Đạo sư ông (play, 1946); Đoàn biệt động (1947); Đợi chờ (1949); Tin chiến thắng Nghĩa Lộ (1952); Thế Lữ also translated many plays by Shakespeare, Goethe, Schiller, and Pogodin.

2. The Work

Thế Lữ is considered one of the leading poets of the New Poetry movement. His poem "Nhớ rừng" is inseparable from his name. To mention Thế Lữ is to mention "Nhớ rừng". The emergence of the New Poetry movement in the early 20th century triggered a powerful explosion, a true revolution in literature, especially in poetry. Traditional forms of poetry (notably from Chinese verse) with rigid structures and rules could no longer contain, nor were they suitable for the flowing and vibrant emotions of the time, which were eager to break free. The reform of poetic forms and the introduction of vivid emotions by new poets were like torrents of lava that overflowed. "Nhớ rừng" is one of the exemplary works of this new wave.

II. Basic Knowledge

Question 1. The poem is divided into five sections. The first and fourth sections express the tiger's frustration at being reduced to a mere exhibit in the zoo alongside foolish bears, highlighting the artificial, confined, and mundane environment. The second and third sections reflect on the freedom and grandeur of the forest during the tiger's glorious past. The fifth section conveys a nostalgic memory of the forest through a dream of a thousand years.

Question 2. a) The zoo scene is one of confinement. The first section portrays the tiger's frustration, anger, and resentment at being caged, transformed into an exotic toy, and placed with mindless bears and carefree leopards. Yet, the king of the jungle still scorns the arrogant humans. It loathes its imprisonment, despises the triviality around it, and escapes through imagination, forever yearning for the forest.

The fourth section shows the zoo from the tiger's perspective—an artificial, meaningless, and monotonous place that "will never change". This unchanging, fake, and stifling zoo evokes the atmosphere of society at the time. The disdainful attitude towards the zoo mirrors the sentiments of many, especially the youth, towards the social circumstances of that era. In stark contrast to the zoo is the forest, where the tiger once ruled. The vast and mighty wilderness was filled with monumental trees, fierce winds, and roaring mountains. In this grand and mysterious place, the tiger exuded authority and majesty:

When roaring a violent anthem

I step forward, proud and noble

My body moves like waves, rhythmic and steady

Stealthily brushing against sharp leaves and grasses

These lines capture the majestic, powerful, yet graceful and fluid nature of the tiger. The third section describes four breathtaking scenes of the forest, with the image of the tiger standing out as a majestic ruler, as a king eager to conquer the mysteries of the universe. This was a time of glory, a time of triumph.

b) The use of language, imagery, and tone in the second and third sections is especially noteworthy. A series of words describing the grandeur of the forest: Ancient trees, old trees, roaring winds, and howling voices. Meanwhile, the tiger's image is slow and measured, likened to rolling waves. The tiger's absolute power is not conveyed through roars, but through its fierce gaze:

In the dark cave, the godly eyes glaring

Silence falls upon everything in its presence

In the following verse, repetitive phrases express regret for a glorious past: "Where are those, where are those..." Each phrase is followed by a question. The fifth question acts both as a query and a statement: the glorious era now exists only in the past, in memory. The imagery of the moon, rain, sunlight, and sunset—both beautiful and violent—contributes to recreating the tiger's glorious past when it was free.

c) By contrasting the zoo, a place of captivity and ordinariness, with the vast, free, and mysterious forest, the poet highlights the tiger's disgust and loathing for its cage. The tiger's constant nostalgia for the former glorious times mirrors the feelings of the people during that time, especially the youth, who longed for the days of national independence and resistance against foreign invaders. The tiger's sorrow is the sorrow of the people. This connection is why the poem resonates so deeply.

Question 3. The poet's choice to voice the tiger in the zoo is very fitting. It both reflects the tiger's dissatisfaction with its confined, fake reality and expresses a yearning for freedom, a desire for greatness and the extraordinary. The tiger, imprisoned in the cage, symbolizes the loss of freedom, defeat, and frustration, unwilling to compromise with its reality. Moreover, using the tiger's voice allows the poet to circumvent the strict censorship of the colonial authorities. Still, the poem evokes the hidden desire for freedom and patriotism of the people at the time.

Question 4* The critic Hoài Thanh praised Thế Lữ as a commander leading the Vietnamese language army with irrefutable orders. This highlights his masterful use of language, achieving a high level of precision. In the forest sounds, Thế Lữ lets us hear the howling winds, the mountain's voice, and the roaring anthem. He also uses repeated phrases to convey the regret for a glorious past (Where are those, where are those...). Another verse illustrates the tiger's dignified and powerful posture:

I step forward, proud and noble

My body moves like waves, rhythmic and steady

Stealthily brushing against sharp leaves and grasses

These lines have a rhythmic balance, painting an image of the tiger moving gracefully and slowly. In contrast, another part describes the artificial, imitative nature of human-made environments:

Artificial, fake scenes

Carefully tended flowers, trimmed grass, smooth paths, planted trees

Fake black water, a false stream

The line: "Carefully tended flowers, trimmed grass, smooth paths, planted trees" uses a uniform rhythmic pattern, mimicking the monotony and ordinariness of the scene. Written during a time when the country was under foreign rule, with the poet sharing the fate of a slave, "Nhớ rừng" avoids a tone of sentimentality or weakness. Instead, it conveys a strong, hidden vitality found only in those who never bow their heads and always yearn for freedom.

III. Skill Development

- The special feature in this poem is the epigraph: "The words of the tiger in the zoo." This epigraph helps guide the tone of the reading, expressing the "words" of the tiger, once a mighty ruler, now imprisoned in the "zoo". The contrast is quite ironic.

- Another important note is that Thế Lữ uses the tiger's voice to express its hatred for the mundane, confined reality and a strong desire for freedom. There is a subtle pain in the poem, representing the youth's sorrow as they faced the loss of their nation. Thus, reading the poem with a deep, emotional tone helps express the tiger's pain, pride, and longing for freedom. Emphasize words such as:

Gnawing on a chunk of hatred in the iron cage,

Despising those arrogant, clueless humans,

In the days of our former glory,

With the howling winds, the mountain's voice

I step forward, proud and noble,

I know I am the lord of all creatures,

I drink the moonlight, lost in ecstasy

I. Brief Introduction to Author Thế Lữ

1. Context of Composition
- The poem was written in 1934 and later published in the collection "Mấy vần thơ" in 1935
2. Structure
- Stanzas 1 + 4: The scene of a tiger trapped in a zoo
- Stanzas 2 + 3: The scene of the tiger in the vast wilderness
- Stanza 5: The intense longing for freedom
3. Content
- The poem uses the tiger's voice to express the discontent of intellectuals yearning for national independence, awakening individual consciousness. The tiger's image, feeling deeply out of place in the artificial, confined zoo, represents the common sentiment of Vietnamese people during colonial times.
4. Artistic Features
- Symbolic imagery, rich in visual detail
- Language and rhythm full of expression and musicality.

III. Understanding the Poem "Remembering the Forest"

Question 1 from the 8th grade Vietnamese textbook, page 7

The poem is divided into 5 sections, each with the following content:

Stanzas 1 and 4: Depict the tiger's frustration and hatred when trapped in a narrow, suffocating, artificial environment.
Stanzas 2 and 3: Recall the free, expansive wilderness where it once roamed with pride.
Stanza 5: The nostalgia for the vast wilderness and its former glorious life.

Question 2 from the 8th grade Vietnamese textbook, page 7

a.

The zoo scene is one of suffocation and constraint.

Stanza 1: Expresses the deep frustration, despondency, and hopeless anger of the tiger as it is humiliated, confined to the same level as the foolish animals around it. Strong verbs, harsh adjectives, and a firm, powerful tone reflect this mood.
Stanza 4: From the tiger's perspective, the zoo is contemptible: it is an artificial, fake, and inferior environment that lacks the natural, majestic wilderness where the tiger once ruled. => A strong sense of disdain and disillusionment with contemporary society.
The wilderness is portrayed as the domain where the tiger once reigned.

Stanzas 2+3: Describe the wild, majestic forest with: towering trees, ancient foliage, roaring winds, and the mighty mountain streams. Nature is shown as raw and grand, with the tiger presented as a dominant, proud and dignified creature, harmoniously blending with its environment.
The image of the forest with "ancient trees" conveys a sense of solemnity.
The grandiosity is accentuated by the powerful sounds of the "howling wind" and "roaring mountain streams".
The wild nature of the untamed land is emphasized.

b. Observations:

The language is rich and expressive, with many vivid and onomatopoeic words.
The imagery is grand, magnificent, and dignified.
The tone alternates between awe and intense anger, reflecting deep frustration.

c) The stark contrast between the zoo and the vast wilderness deeply reflects the tiger’s nostalgic longing for its past glory.

The tiger’s feelings represent the sentiments of the Vietnamese people under colonial oppression, longing for the glorious past of resistance against foreign invaders in the nation’s history.

Question 3 from the 8th grade Vietnamese textbook, page 7

The author uses the tiger as a highly fitting symbol for the theme of the poem. The tiger embodies beauty, power, and grace, all while carrying a deep sense of romanticism. The tiger’s circumstances align with the poet’s own frustrations, representing the romantic sense of a trapped soul in a suffocating reality.

Question 4 from the 8th grade Vietnamese textbook, page 7

Critic Hoài Thanh praised Thế Lữ by saying, "like a general commanding the Vietnamese language army with irresistible orders." This emphasizes the poet's mastery of language, achieving high precision: The rhythm of the poem moves fluidly, like the heartbeat of the writer. The chosen verbs and adjectives are skillfully blended, creating a seamless, refined effect.

Question 1. List the vocabulary words in the following lexical fields:

- Describing the majestic mountains (verses 2, 3).

- Describing the tiger in the sacred forest (verses 2, 3).

What are your observations about the author's use of language? In particular, how does the extensive use of Sino-Vietnamese words in verses 2 and 3 contribute to the artistic effect?

Answer:

The objective of this task is to practice understanding lexical fields.

- To perform well on this task, students must first have a basic understanding of lexical fields (a lexical field consists of words that share a common meaning). Here, these words describe a common subject: the "majestic forest" and the "tiger king of the forest." It's important to note that a lexical field can include multiple smaller lexical fields; words from the same lexical field may vary in word class; and a word may belong to multiple lexical fields. In writing, people often shift lexical fields to enhance the artistic quality of language.

- After carefully reading the poem, list words from the lexical field describing the majestic mountains in verses 2 and 3.

Examples: sơn lâm (forest), bóng cả (ancient trees), cây già (old trees), gió gào ngần (howling winds), nguồn hét núi (roaring streams), lá gai (thorny leaves), cỏ sắc hang tối (dark cave grass), thảo hoa (wildflowers), đêm vàng (golden night), bờ suối ánh trăng (moonlit stream), ngày mưa (rainy day), bốn phương ngàn (thousands of directions), giang sơn (landscape), bình minh (dawn), cây xanh (green trees), nắng gội (sunlight bath), tiếng chim ca (birdsong), sau rừng (behind the forest), mặt người (human face)... Common meaning: majestic mountains.

- List words from the lexical field describing the tiger in the sacred forest in verses 2 and 3.

Examples: tung hoành (roam), hống hách (arrogant), bước chân lên (step forward), dõng dạc (resolute), đường hoàng (majestic), lượn tấm thân (prowling body), vờn bóng (circling shadow), quắc (piercing gaze), say mồi đứng uống ánh trăng tan (dazed by prey, drinking the fading moonlight), lặng ngắm (silent observation), đợi chết (waiting for death), chiếm lấỵ (conquering)...

- From this, we can observe that the author has utilized a rich and diverse vocabulary, carefully selecting words to highlight the grandeur and power of the majestic mountains and to vividly portray the imposing image of the tiger king of the forest.

- Particularly, the widespread use of Sino-Vietnamese words in verses 2 and 3 has created a significant artistic effect: it emphasizes the elevated, grand, and extraordinary qualities, contrasting with the ordinary and mundane. Compared to native Vietnamese synonyms, Sino-Vietnamese words often carry a more formal, elegant tone and evoke a distinct sense of imagery.

Question 2. The literary critic Hoài Thanh commented on Thế Lữ's poetry: "Reading his poems, especially 'Remembering the Forest,' one feels the words are pushed and tormented by an extraordinary force. Thế Lữ is like a general commanding a Vietnamese language army with unyielding orders." (Thi nhân Việt Nam)

How do you understand this opinion? In your view, what elements could make up the "Vietnamese language army" that Hoài Thanh refers to?

Answer:

We need to understand Hoài Thanh's figurative expression:

- When he says, "the words are pushed and tormented by an extraordinary force," Hoài Thanh aims to emphasize the intense emotional flow that strongly influences the choice of words in Thế Lữ's poem. This is one of the key features of romantic writing and a crucial element that contributes to the powerful appeal of the poem 'Remembering the Forest.'

- When Hoài Thanh says, "Thế Lữ is like a general commanding a Vietnamese language army with unyielding orders," the critic is highlighting the poet's mastery of language (Vietnamese) in a dynamic, flexible, rich, precise, and especially effective way to convey the poem's content.

- The "Vietnamese language army" could consist of several elements, such as: vocabulary (in this case, the words that powerfully describe the majestic forest or the vivid imagery of the tiger king), grammatical structures, rhythm, and the rich musicality and expressiveness (with varied tones and flexible pacing – some lines are short and abrupt, while others are elongated, matching the emotional intensity). This is most evident in verses 2 and 3, where the poem describes the grandeur of the forest and the image of the tiger in its domain.

Question 3. Why do you think the tiger is not only frustrated by being caged in an iron cage but also despises the entire environment of the zoo (described in verses 1 and 4)?

Answer:

The tiger is indeed not just frustrated by being caged in an iron cage (losing its freedom) but also despises everything in the zoo (as described in verses 1 and 4) because, in the eyes of the tiger king, everything in the zoo is insignificant, monotonous, and fake. The animals, such as the foolish bears and careless leopards, and the artificial surroundings – fake water streams, trimmed grass, shallow paths, and small bushes – are beneath the tiger. The tiger refuses to coexist with such mundane, false, and inferior things.

The tiger longs to return to its wild forest not only to regain its freedom but also to embrace something transcendent and magnificent, in stark contrast to the artificial reality of the zoo. This reflects a key aspect of romanticism: a deep dissatisfaction with the oppressive, ordinary present and a powerful yearning for freedom, always aspiring towards the extraordinary, sublime, and transcendent.

Question 4. In the 8th grade literature textbook, Volume 2, it is remarked: The poem 'Remembering the Forest' is "full of romantic emotions."

What does "romantic" mean to you? How is the romantic emotion expressed in the poem?

Answer:

'Remembering the Forest' is indeed filled with romantic emotion. Simply put, the hallmark of a romantic soul is one that is rich in dreams, desires, and intense emotions. The pre-revolutionary Vietnamese romantic artists before 1945 felt a profound dissonance with the suffocating, oppressive social reality of their time; yet, due to their helplessness, they could only escape this reality through dreams and by immersing themselves in their emotional inner world. A romantic soul yearns for the unique, the extraordinary, and despises the conventional, restrictive, and mundane. It delights in expressing deep, intense emotions, particularly those of disappointment and sorrow. The romantic emotion in 'Remembering the Forest' is clearly expressed through the following aspects:

- A longing for a grand, extraordinary, and magnificent imaginary world, bursting with intense inspiration. This world completely contrasts with the fake, mundane reality. In the poem 'Remembering the Forest,' the imaginary world is the majestic forest and the heroic tiger king (highlighted in verses 2, 3, and 5), while the zoo with the iron cage represents the oppressive, ordinary, detestable reality.

- It deeply conveys the sorrow and frustration of the tiger, once the king of the forest, now powerless in the cage of a zoo. The image of the tiger, with its profound sorrow, is a tragic symbol, artfully portrayed through lively, passionate verses, fully reflecting the poet's romantic emotion.

Structure:

Divided into 5 sections:

+ Section 1: The situation of falling into a trap and becoming a toy for small, arrogant people.

+ Sections 2 and 3: The longing for the forest and the pride of a once glorious time.

+ Section 4: The frustration with the fake, petty nature of the zoo's environment.

+ Section 5: The nostalgia and dreams of the grand wilderness.

Question 1 (Page 7, Literature Textbook 8, Volume 2):

- Section 1: The tiger’s frustration when trapped in a cage, becoming a source of amusement.

- Sections 2 and 3: Reminiscing about the time as a mighty ruler.

- Section 4: The tiger’s contempt for the petty, fake aspects of the zoo.

- Section 5: The tiger’s longing for the forest and desire for freedom.

Question 2 (Page 7, Literature Textbook 8, Volume 2):

a. Sections 1 and 4: The zoo environment where the tiger is confined and its feelings of disgust and frustration.

+ Frustration with being imprisoned.

+ Trapped with absurd bears and carefree leopards.

+ Disdain for the small, arrogant humans.

+ The mundane, fake settings.

+ Longing for the vast, majestic forest.

→ Hatred for the confinement and disdain for the ordinary. Desire to escape into the memories of the great forest.

Sections 2 and 3: Depict the beauty of the forest that highlights the tiger’s grandeur and dignity.

+ The tiger’s power, strength, and ambition in the forest.

+ Nostalgia for its glorious past.

→ A longing for the glorious days of the past.

b. Sections 2 and 3: Outstanding in terms of imagery, vocabulary, and tone.

- Regarding vocabulary:

+ Describes the vastness and magnificence of the forest with words like: the ancient shadow, old trees, the great land.

+ Strong verbs are used to convey the tiger’s majesty: roars, glares, yells, hates.

+ Exclamatory words (alas), rhetorical questions: evoking memories of a glorious past and regret for lost freedom.

- Regarding imagery:

+ The tiger’s strength is illustrated with images: its piercing eyes glaring, its body moving rhythmically like waves, drinking in the moonlight, gazing at the land, a rejuvenating sleep.

+ Images of the forest at night, in the rain, under sunlight, at sunset, and dawn – all magnificent and mysterious.

- Regarding tone: sharp and bold, recreating the time of glory and grandeur when the tiger was free.

c. The stark contrast between the forest and the zoo.

+ The zoo is stagnant, cramped, petty, fake vs. the forest which is free, expansive, magnificent, and mysterious.

+ The tiger’s mood of frustration, disgust, and hatred (in the zoo) vs. the tiger’s joy, majesty, and grandeur in the forest.

→ The tiger’s sorrow represents the feelings of a people whose country has been lost – they feel anger, humiliation, and dissatisfaction with the present, longing for the glory and past greatness of their ancestors.

Exercise 3 (Page 7, Literature Textbook 8, Volume 2):

- The effect of using the “words of the tiger in the zoo” is fitting because:

+ It shows a strong rejection of the mundane, fake, and confining reality.

+ The desire to escape into freedom, refusing to compromise with the present.

+ The image of the tiger trapped in the zoo symbolizes imprisonment, loss of freedom, and the feeling of defeat, filled with frustration.

+ Using the tiger’s voice helps avoid the harsh censorship of the colonial authorities.

- The use of the tiger’s words also allows the author to express their own hidden desire for freedom.

Question 4 (Page 7, Literature Textbook 8, Volume 2):

- Hoài Thanh, in his review of Thế Lữ’s poetry, “Reading the two poems, especially 'Remembering the Forest'... is irresistible,” highlights the artist's delicate, masterful use of language, achieving great precision.

+ Thế Lữ uses language in “Remembering the Forest” driven by a mindset of disdain and anger towards the current reality.

+ “The words are pushed aside” reflects the dynamic tone that fluctuates between majestic power and reflective calm.

+ “Tortured by an extraordinary force”: the longing for freedom, to escape from the petty and confining present.

+ The language has depth: creating three symbolic figures with multiple meanings (the tiger, the zoo, the forest).

+ Thế Lữ was also a pioneering poet in the New Poetry movement, and his desire to break free from old conventions helped him actively shape his language use.

Question 1, Page 7 - Literature Textbook, Grade 8, Volume 2:

The poem is divided into 5 sections. Please identify the content of each section.

The poem is divided into 5 sections, and the content of each is as follows:

- Section 1: The tiger's anger and hatred while being confined in a steel cage.

- Section 2: The tiger’s longing for the mountains and the majestic image of the tiger.

- Section 3: The tiger’s nostalgia for the glorious, free days of the past.

- Section 4: The tiger’s contempt for the mundane, confined, artificial zoo environment.

- Section 5: The dream and deep desire to return to the wilderness of the forest.

Question 2, Page 7 - Literature Textbook, Grade 8, Volume 2: The poem vividly describes two contrasting scenes: the zoo, where the tiger is imprisoned (Sections 1 and 4); and the majestic, vast mountains where the tiger once roamed freely (Sections 2 and 3).
a) Please analyze each scene.
b) Comment on the use of words, images, and the tone in Sections 2 and 3. Analyze what makes these two sections so remarkable.
c) Through the sharp contrast between the two scenes, how is the tiger's inner world portrayed? How does this relate to the emotions of the Vietnamese people during that time?
a) The zoo scene is portrayed as cramped and suffocating:

+ Section 1: expresses the tiger's feelings of frustration, anger, and distress as it is locked in a steel cage, reduced to a mere spectacle, alongside bears and carefree leopards.
+ Section 4: the zoo, from the tiger's perspective, is contemptible: it is an artificial, false, and inferior environment that has no resemblance to the wild, pristine forests. => The intense, bitter resentment toward contemporary society is conveyed.
– The majestic, vast mountain scene, the former domain of the tiger.
+ Sections 2 and 3: describe the immense, awe-inspiring forest with everything being grand, lofty, and extraordinary: towering trees, old giants, howling winds, and the roaring rivers. The tiger, the lord of the mountains, appears both graceful and powerful, noble yet supple.
b) The mountainous landscape in all its grandeur, with the “ancient trees” and majestic beauty:

– The grandeur is conveyed through the fierce sounds of nature, like the “howling wind” and the “roaring river’s voice.”
– The untamed wilderness, timeless and ageless, is captured.
-> The selected words are vivid and evocative, perfectly depicting the vast, powerful, mysterious, and sacred nature of the tiger's homeland.
c) The stark contrast between the zoo and the mountains powerfully expresses the tiger's deep sorrow and yearning for its glorious past. The tiger’s feelings mirror those of the Vietnamese people, whose country was under occupation, suffering under the humiliation of captivity, and nostalgically remembering their glorious history of fighting against foreign invaders. This connection makes the poem deeply resonant with the audience.

Question 3, Page 7 - Literature Textbook, Grade 8, Volume 2: Based on the poem’s content, explain why the author uses the “tiger’s voice from the zoo.” What effect does this have on expressing the poet’s emotions?
By using the tiger as a metaphor, the poet has created an appropriate symbol to convey the theme of the poem. The tiger represents strength and majesty, once the king of the forest, symbolizing freedom and glory in the vast wilderness. Furthermore, by borrowing the tiger’s voice, the poet could easily evade the harsh censorship of the colonial government at that time. Being imprisoned in the steel cage becomes a powerful symbol of a fallen hero, filled with sorrow. The wilderness, vast and mighty, symbolizes the expansive, free, and noble world the tiger (and the poet) longs for. The poet’s use of this symbol makes it easier to express both their emotional distress and romantic yearning.

Question 4, Page 7 - Literature Textbook, Grade 8, Volume 2: The literary critic Hoai Thanh commented on Thế Lữ’s poetry: “Reading these two poems, especially 'Remembering the Forest,' one can feel the words being pushed and tormented by an extraordinary power. Thế Lữ seems like a general commanding an army of words with unstoppable commands” (Vietnamese Poets, p. 123). What do you understand by this? Use the poem to illustrate your understanding.
The critic Hoai Thanh praises Thế Lữ as “a general commanding an army of Vietnamese words with unstoppable commands.” This highlights the poet’s masterful use of language, achieving high precision in expression:
– For example, the sounds of the forest in Thế Lữ’s work are vividly heard through descriptions like “howling wind,” “roaring river,” and the fierce cries of the wild.
– The repetition in the lines emphasizes nostalgia (e.g., “Where” and “None of these…”).
– The balanced rhythm of the verses mirrors the tiger’s majestic, fluid movements:
"I walk proudly, dignified, on the path,"
"My body sways like the waves, gracefully moving,"
"I circle in silence, among thorns and sharp grass."
Another example: the lines “The flowers bloom, the grass is trimmed, the path is smooth, the trees planted” use a repetitive structure to evoke the monotonous, mundane nature of the zoo’s environment.

* Remember:
Thế Lữ’s 'Remembering the Forest' uses the tiger’s voice from the zoo to deeply express the poet’s disdain for the mundane, suffocating present and the intense longing for freedom, with verses full of romantic emotion. The poem taps into the hidden patriotic spirit of the people of Vietnam at that time.

I. Author, Work

1. Author (refer to the introduction of the author Thế Lữ in SGK Ngữ văn 8 Volume 2).

2. The work

* Remember the Forest is one of Thế Lữ's most representative poems and contributed to the success of the New Poetry movement.

* Poetic form: The poem is written in 8-syllable verses.

Question 1:

The poem is divided into 5 sections:

• Section 1: The tiger’s plight in captivity and its feelings of frustration, resentment, and helplessness.
• Sections 2 & 3: The intense yearning and desire for freedom through nostalgic memories of the vast, majestic forest, which matches the strength of the tiger king.
• Section 4: The tiger’s contempt for the monotonous, mundane setting of the zoo, completely contrasting the grandeur of the forest.
• Section 5: The pain and despair of a fallen hero with vivid memories of the past and a shattered dream of freedom.

Question 2:

The poem vividly portrays two contrasting scenes: the zoo where the tiger is imprisoned (sections 2 and 4); and the majestic, grand forest where the tiger once ruled in the “old days” (sections 2 and 3).

a)

* The zoo scene is depicted as suffocating, stifling

• Section 1: reveals the tiger’s feelings of disgust, anger, and frustration as it is confined in an iron cage, reduced to a toy for humans, alongside “silly” animals like bears and careless leopards. Despite this, the tiger escapes captivity through imagination, living in nostalgia for the great forest.
• Section 4: The zoo is shown from the tiger’s perspective as artificial, insignificant, fake, and so dull that “it will never change” – symbolizing a deep contempt and distaste for the current society.

* The grand, majestic forest scene

Sections 2 and 3 describe the vast, ancient forest where the tiger once reigned. Everything here is grand, profound, and extraordinary (the old trees, the howling wind, the roaring river). The tiger king appears with a beauty that is both delicate and powerful, majestic yet fluid and graceful.

b) The language, imagery, and tone in sections 2 and 3 are particularly remarkable. The forest is described with a series of words that evoke the grandeur, enormity, and extraordinariness (old trees, howling, roaring, screaming). Meanwhile, the tiger king appears leisurely, composed, compared to the rhythmic flow of waves.

=> The choice of words is rich, vivid, and descriptive, portraying the vast, powerful, mysterious, and sacred landscape of the tiger's kingdom.

c)

* Through the stark contrast between these two scenes, the tiger’s feelings of dissatisfaction and contempt for its mundane reality and deep longing for its glorious past are evident.

* The tiger’s emotions reflect those of the Vietnamese people under foreign domination, who yearned for the glorious days of their past victories in battles against foreign invaders.

Question 3:

The author borrows the “voice of the tiger in the zoo” because it not only conveys a sense of frustration with a stifling, fake, and mundane reality, but also expresses a longing for freedom and a desire for greatness. Furthermore, by using the tiger’s voice, the author also avoids the strict censorship of colonial authorities. Nonetheless, the poem still conveys the deep, hidden desire for freedom of the people of that time.

Question 4:

The literary critic Hoài Thanh commented on Thế Lữ’s poetry: “Reading the two poems, especially ‘Remember the Forest,’ one feels the words being pushed and tortured by an extraordinary force. Thế Lữ is like a general commanding the Vietnamese language army with inescapable orders.” This reflects Thế Lữ’s masterful use of language, achieving a high level of precision. The sounds of the forest, Thế Lữ makes us hear the howling wind, the roaring river, and the fierce cries of nature. A series of words are repeated, such as “where are” and “those things,” creating a sense of longing for a glorious past. The poem’s rhythm is balanced and symmetrical, reflecting the tiger’s mighty yet graceful movements.