Top 7 Best Essays Analyzing the Mood of the Lyrical Character in Xuân Diệu's Poem 'Vội vàng'

In the book 'Thi nhân Việt Nam,' literary critic and researcher Hoài Thanh remarks: Xuân Diệu is enamored with love, fascinated by life, and lives in haste, hurriedly... In each of his works, Xuân Diệu expresses the mood of a lyrical character: enchanted by nature, captivated by life. This is perhaps most evident in his poem 'Vội vàng.'

The lyrical 'I' in Xuân Diệu is revealed from the very first four lines, with rapid, urgent breathing and bold, unusual ideas, almost paradoxical:

I want to stop the sun

So its color doesn't fade;

I want to tie the wind

So the fragrance doesn't fly away.

The poet repeats 'I want' twice, showing the personal 'I' attempting to seize the power of Creation, expressed through actions like 'stopping the sun' and 'tying the wind.' This strange desire opens up a youthful, boundless love of the lyrical 'I' for nature. For the poet, heaven is not far away, but right in front of his eyes. It is like a love garden of all things in springtime. The surrounding scenery is full of life:

Here are the bees and butterflies during the honeymoon;

Here are the flowers of the green field;

Here are the leaves of the delicate branches swaying

Here is the nightingale singing a love song

And here is the light flashing through my lashes

Every morning, the god of Joy knocks on the door

The repetition of 'here' five times emphasizes each beautiful detail of the spring garden, highlighting the endless abundance of nature with an unusual sense of excitement. The poem sounds like the innocent cheer of a child entering a fragrant, vibrant garden, full of lively music in all kinds of tones. Then, the poet makes a unique comparison: January is as sweet as a pair of lips. Xuân Diệu's expression is subtle, shifting sensations: he does not say January is beautiful, but that it is 'sweet.' Only a sensitive soul can detect the parallel between the spring of nature and youthful love, as both share the same 'sweet' flavor.

The poet wishes to preserve the fragrance and beauty of the earthly spring garden forever, but unfortunately, that beauty is fleeting:

Spring is coming; which means spring is passing,

Spring is young; which means spring will grow old,

And when spring ends, I too will be gone.

My heart is wide, but heaven is small,

Not allowing humanity's youth to last long.

The tone of the poem shifts suddenly. In the face of nature's beauty, Xuân Diệu realizes: nature is beautiful, but it will not last. Flowers will wither, birds will stop singing, and time keeps moving forward. The lyrical 'I,' despite wanting to seize the power of creation, cannot stop the moment:

Spring is coming, which means spring is passing,

Spring is young, which means spring will grow old,

There is heaven and earth, but not me forever,

And so, I feel regret for both heaven and earth.

The flow of time is infinite, yet life is incredibly brief. The lyrical 'I' feels helpless, as if even the earth and heaven are filled with sadness for the lost time.

When mentioning the 'king of love poetry,' readers will undoubtedly think of Xuân Diệu, a poet whose passionate, fervent, and exuberant soul is immersed in love. His verses mirror his own heart. The poem 'Vội vàng' is a symphony of intense love, a declaration of one who is deeply in love. The mood of the lyrical character in this poem makes the readers feel as though they too are caught in the same heartbeat.

The poem is voiced with a deep, passionate tone, brimming with the vitality of nature. Through the eyes of the lyrical character, the springtime scenery appears so fresh and pure:

Here are the bees and butterflies in the honeymoon days;

Here are the flowers of the green fields;

Here are the leaves of the delicate branches swaying;

Here are the nightingales singing love songs.

The lyrical character's voice seems to joyfully celebrate alongside the vibrant, bustling nature. January is always a month that lifts people's spirits, full of energy, especially in love. For the lyrical character, this is the most intense and passionate moment. The character calls January the 'honeymoon month,' evoking sweetness and warmth. The repeated 'here' moves from one surprise to the next, showing how the beauty of nature causes the lyrical character to become overwhelmed with emotion.

The beautiful images of 'green fields' and 'delicate branches swaying' make the song of spring stir deeply within the heart.

The tone in these four lines rings out like the joyful, bright voice of someone in love, standing in the vast and boundless world.

And this pure, fresh emotion leads to a desire:

I feel joy, but half of it is lost
I don't wait for summer to fade before I long for spring.

The joy and enthusiasm of spring and love make the lyrical character elated. However, it seems there is a sudden realization, causing the character to pause, as the word 'but' brings the rhythm to a standstill. The tone suddenly shifts to 'half-hastily.' This shift allows the reader to recognize the lyrical character's sense of hesitation and surprise. Why not embrace happiness completely, but instead feel rushed? Perhaps the passing of time causes the character to feel regretful, fearing that time, once gone, will never return.

At this point, the character 'I' feels unsettled, thinking about how spring will pass, and then spring will return. The harshness of time steals spring away, inadvertently taking love along with it, even as it overflows with life.

This is a very positive attitude towards life, one that can awaken the hearts of many, especially the youth. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the beauty of the moment, because time never returns.

In the following lines, the tone grows urgent, and the mood of the character 'I' becomes hurried and anxious. Time has made the lyrical character fearful and worried:

Never again! Oh never again

Hurry, the day is not yet evening.

At this point, we truly realize the character's emotions and state of mind. A rushed life, living quickly, living for tomorrow. It seems that 'I' feels powerless in the present, unable to hold on to the beautiful moments anymore.

Perhaps this is why, in the final lines, we recognize the character's intense, burning longing:

I want to embrace all of life, just beginning to bloom;

I want to catch the clouds and let the winds swirl;

I want to become intoxicated with butterflies in love;

I want to capture it all in one big kiss.

The repetition of 'I' at the beginning of each line intensifies the urgency. The long-held desires of 'I' burst forth. While the images of spring are so vivid and full, the lyrical character thinks about how everything will quickly fade away with time. This is a new, progressive, and modern awareness of time, awakening the thoughts of future generations.

Thus, through the poem 'Vội vàng,' Xuân Diệu makes the reader feel the rush, the panic, and the urgency alongside the lyrical character. Perhaps that is the message Xuân Diệu is conveying about the sense of time.

A critic who deeply understands and loves Xuân Diệu's poetry before the Revolution, Hoài Thanh, once remarked that “This poet expresses his true self most clearly, particularly when writing lines of poetry that depict delicate, fragile, and vague emotions that are hard to describe or grasp.” For example:

Where do the blue clouds rush to?

The stork on the field flutters its wings in hesitation.

These observations surely have a basis. However, to most readers, Xuân Diệu is primarily known as a poet of intense passion, of overwhelming love for life—a person yearning to fully connect with and unite with nature. He called out passionately for the urgency of life to experience all its pleasures. If we were to select the most representative poem of such a spirit, the poem “Vội Vàng” (Hurry) would instantly come to mind.

I want to stop the sun

So its color doesn't fade;

I want to tie the wind

So its fragrance doesn't fly away.

Here are the bees and butterflies in their honeyed days,

Here are the flowers of the green fields,

Here are the leaves of the tender branches swaying;

Here are the swallows with their love songs,

And here is the light flashing in the eyelashes.

Every morning, the god of Joy knocks on the door;

January is as delicious as a pair of lips close together.

I am filled with joy.

The feeling of haste is clearly shown in the first stanza of the poem: the first five-line stanza, the only one of the poem that uses five-syllable lines, while most of the rest of the poem uses eight-syllable lines. The eight-syllable form reminds us of the rhythms of traditional Vietnamese opera (ca trù), and Xuân Diệu’s use of it here represents a fresh development in new poetry. The short lines here create a sense of urgency, like the hurried breath of a person overwhelmed with emotion. Xuân Diệu places the imperative phrase “I want” at the very start of these lines, immediately introducing the lyrical subject. The poet boldly asserts his “I,” contrary to the classical tradition that rarely showed such a personal voice. This open display of the self is a challenge to previous poetic aesthetics, as the poet seeks to take control of nature, doing things that only nature itself can do, such as “stop the sun” and “tie the wind.” But in Xuân Diệu’s expression, these desires are not final wishes; the even-numbered lines begin with the word “so.”

So its color doesn't fade,

.............

So its fragrance doesn't fly away.

The poet’s extravagant desires stem from a longing to preserve the beauty of life. These lines evoke a sense of anxiety that the beauty will fade—colors will dull if the sun keeps shining, and fragrances will dissipate if the wind keeps blowing. The desire grows more intense with the repeated use of “don’t,” expressing a fervent wish. Each word in these lines reflects an overwhelming craving for life, a passion that borders on obsession and greed, wishing to retain beauty and life within the created world.

The fifth line shifts from the rapid rhythm of five-syllable lines to eight-syllable lines. This transition is a beautiful moment in the poem, unfolding a magnificent spring scene before the reader. The four lines are filled with “here are” repeated several times, both rhythmic and varied. These lines depict someone who is entranced, immersed in the vibrant spring unfolding around them. This is not just a scene of spring and nature, but a metaphor for the poet’s rapture with youth and love. Thus, the only creatures mentioned are “bees and butterflies,” as they symbolize grace and love, while the phrase “butterflies flutter, bees are distracted” suggests the connection between spring and love. The rhythm and repetition of “here are” with “this” convey the intertwining of nature, each element inseparable from the other. The vibrant colors of the flowers and the tender leaves are brought to life in the rhythm of “swaying tenderly.” Life is represented as a garden of paradise, filled with earthly joys. The humanistic value in these lines is clear.

Although the first four lines seem complete, the ninth line introduces the phrase “and here,” signaling that the poet is still not satisfied, still yearning to express the fullness of the joy of life. But now, the focus shifts away from tangible images like flowers and bees to more abstract concepts: light, joy, and time—things that are intangible. This change in imagery reflects a shift in Xuân Diệu’s aesthetic view, where nature is no longer merely the standard of beauty, but beauty is also found in human-like qualities. Light becomes beautiful because it reminds us of “the eyelashes of a beautiful eye,” joy becomes beautiful because it represents a god, a human figure. The aesthetic heightening continues with the line about January, evoking a bold, passionate beauty that astounds the reader.

January is as delicious as a pair of lips close together.

Spring appears with a strangely enticing charm, a beauty that seems eager to give itself away. Spring exists for humanity to enjoy, for happiness to arrive. This is another aspect of the poem's humanistic spirit, where the highest and most precious thing is humanity itself. Therefore, humans become the highest entity, surpassing nature, religion, or any moral standard. In this line, humanity is elevated to the aesthetic ideal, surprising and astonishing the reader. The poet speaks of the youngest month in the most youthful season of the year: “January.” But the surprise lies in the third word “delicious,” an unexpected comparison. And no one would expect the poet to compare it to “a pair of lips close together.” But with such a comparison, abstract time becomes more tangible, and spring appears as a longing for enjoyment. The beauty of spring feels completely possessed by the poet.

The comparison evokes an image of someone waiting, ready to give themselves to love. Surely, only a love so deep for life could inspire such a strange, vivid image.

“I am filled with joy.”

This inevitable exclamation follows everything previously written. But after these three words, there is a period, interrupting the joy, leaving it unfinished, incomplete. After the period comes the word “but,” foretelling a completely new emotion. The haunting sense of haste appears again in the second half of the poem. The poet seems unable to fully enjoy spring because of a sense of nostalgia even before spring has ended. The poet’s emotion shifts, bringing forth an antithesis: But hurry, half of it.

Anyone who has heard the first two lines of this antithesis will be deeply impressed.

Spring is coming, meaning spring is passing.

Spring is young, meaning spring will age.

The boldest and most innovative part of these two lines lies in the word “meaning,” which transforms the line into an artistic equation. The poet has daringly created a paradox: “coming” opposite “passing,” “young” opposite “old.” This striking structure emphasizes the swift passage of time. This is especially meaningful to someone for whom life is synonymous with youth, as shown by the third equation: And when spring ends, I too will fade.

Here, spring represents youth and love. This emotion sparks a series of reflections in the poet’s mind. The poet seems to challenge all conventional beliefs: My heart is wide, but the sky is too small.

Now, the object of “wide” is no longer nature but the individual “I,” and the smallness now belongs to “the sky and earth.” Yet the poet’s lament is that what has passed will never return. The poet gazes from the perspective of the self, voicing a complaint and worry about nature and fate.

Don't lengthen the youth of mankind

What use is it to say that spring still returns?

If youth never returns twice.

The sky remains, but I will not forever.

So I sigh, I mourn for the sky and earth.

What is the sky and earth worth if my youth cannot last? What does the cyclical nature of spring matter if my youth does not return? The poet’s intense longing for youth infuses the poem with fresh meaning.

The scent of May is tinged with the taste of separation

Across mountains and rivers, the whispered farewells are heard.

The gentle breeze whispers through the green leaves.

Could it be angry for having to fly away? The birds suddenly stop their joyous song. The imagery of the wind and birds returns, but now, these symbols no longer represent the vibrant beauty of life. Now, these images are tinged with regret and parting. The wind still speaks sweetly through the green leaves, but it must fly away. The birds still sing passionately, but their song forewarns of decay. These repeated refrains rise into a haunting obsession:

Never again, oh, never again...

However, the man who loves life in Xuân Diệu’s poetry does not easily succumb to the fate set by nature. Therefore, this “I” finds a way to resolve a problem that seems impossible to solve—living “hastily.” If life cannot be prolonged, the poet suggests speeding up the intensity and pace of living. Thus, the section begins with a command to hurry.

Hurry up! The evening is yet to fall.

I want to embrace all of life, newly sprouting

I want to race the clouds and swirl with the wind

I want to be intoxicated by the butterflies and love

I want to capture in one kiss so much

And the mountains, the clouds, the vibrant grass;

For a dizzying fragrance, for a world full of light.

For the rich colors of the bright sky;

Oh, red spring, I want to bite into you.

The “wants” in the opening lines reappear, but this time they are more frequent, urgent, and frantic. Now, “want” no longer belongs to “I,” but to “we.” The hurry incites a more expansive “I,” one that can embrace all of life. In this way, “we” becomes a figure brimming with youthful vigor, longing to experience life in its fullest, with heightened intensity: embrace—race—capture in a kiss.

This reveals a Xuân Diệu who wishes to savor spring as a banquet of life, to be “dizzy, filled, satiated.” The final line is one of the boldest in the poem:

Oh, red spring, I want to bite into you.

This line expresses the extreme of the poet’s love for spring and life. Xuân Diệu’s poetic vision may have been influenced by French poet Anna de Noailles, as the poet seems to want to leave a mark on the fruit of time.

The poet who is considered by Hoai Thanh as “the most modern poet among modern poets” is none other than Xuan Dieu. His poetry is a vibrant and overflowing source of the freshness and passion of a poet deeply in love with love, life, and the beauty of existence. A prime example of Xuan Dieu's poetic style is the poem “Hurry Up,” which presents a new and meaningful view on the rush of life. But why does Xuan Dieu hold such a perspective? Let us explore the poem to understand his fast-paced lifestyle.

Hurry up is an adjective indicating something that is done quickly, in haste. According to Xuan Dieu, living quickly means living at full speed, dedicating oneself fully, and savoring the beauty bestowed by nature. For Xuan Dieu, a rushed life is a positive one, in contrast to the hurried lives of some young people today who rush toward material wealth, live only for pleasure, and forget about hard work, chasing fleeting trends that lead to meaningless lives. Xuan Dieu’s concept of rushing awakens those who have gone astray, guiding those who are lost in search of the true meaning of life.

Why then does Xuan Dieu possess such profound life insights? He is a poet who passionately desires to harmonize and connect with life, cherishing the world around him. Xuan Dieu perceives the beauty of nature, guiding us like a tour guide, taking us through the exquisite landscapes—from the butterflies of the honeymoon season, the lush green flowers of the countryside, the delicate leaves swaying in the breeze, to the love-filled songs of birds, the flickering light of eyelashes, and the divine joy of each new morning. Most beautifully, he compares the wonder of January to the sweetness of a lover’s kiss. These beauties aren’t something distant; they are the “delicious feast,” the paradise amidst the mundane world. They are not the characteristic beauty of a specific rural area like Nguyen Khuyen’s, Han Mac Tu’s, or the “Tràng Giang” of Huy Can, but the universal, simple beauty that exists anywhere and everywhere around us. The poet is content, fully immersed in the splendor of nature, but he also feels “half in a hurry,” as he nostalgically laments the fleeting beauty of the world and the fleeting moments of spring.

The poet’s hurriedness stems from his awareness of the relentless passage of time and its destructive effects. While medieval poets viewed time as cyclical, Xuan Dieu sees it as linear, with no return: “Spring is coming, which means spring is passing / Spring is still young, meaning spring will grow old / And when spring is gone, I will be gone too.” While others might only mourn the passing of spring when summer arrives, the poet does not wait for the sun to leave before feeling nostalgic for the season. For him, when spring arrives, it is already passing; when spring is young, it will soon grow old; and when spring is over, so will he. Xuan Dieu values the spring of nature and youth’s vibrant springtime; for him, the passing of youth means the life itself becomes meaningless. Youth is the most beautiful, meaningful, and happiest period of a person’s life. His lines convey a profound life lesson, urging readers to treasure every fleeting moment, especially the few years of youth. These years are when we have health, energy, faith, and the chance to challenge ourselves, to experience “failure” and realize life’s immense significance. The poet is haunted by the destructive power of time, personifying it as something that, like humans, can experience joy, sorrow, and fear, particularly as the moments of spring pass by. The final emotional note is an exclamation of regret: “Never again, oh! Never again…”

Because the spring landscape is so beautiful, the poet wishes to “stop the sun” and “tie the wind,” seeking to interfere with the laws of nature to preserve the delightful beauty of the world. This bold wish may seem unreasonable, but in the context and mindset of the poet, it makes perfect sense. The poet regrets both the springtime of nature and of human life, so he urges, “Let’s hurry! Spring has not yet reached evening.” We have encountered a similar call in his verse: “Hurry up, quickly, hurry up / My love, the youth is almost gone.” At all times, Xuan Dieu wants to absorb all the vitality and beauty of nature, wanting to embrace, savor, and experience it fully. Through the use of escalating action verbs, the poet’s burning desire to immerse himself in nature’s beauty is clear. Only someone who deeply loves life and is intoxicated by the splendor of the world could write such beautiful lines. No other poet’s spirit has so vibrantly captured the force of nature like in “Hurry Up.”

Thus, through this work, we can admire and learn from Xuan Dieu’s positive concept of rushing. The author offers us profound human values. After studying the poem, we realize the value of time and the beauty of life is not found in a distant fairyland but exists in the everyday. Xuan Dieu teaches us to live meaningfully, to fully dedicate ourselves to our fleeting youth, contribute to our homeland, and enjoy the beauty of life.

Xuan Dieu’s concept of rushing holds deep significance for life, enduring over time and remaining relevant in every era, especially for young people, as Hoai Thanh rightly observed: “Xuan Dieu is the most modern among modern poets—only the young can truly appreciate him, and once they do, they will fall in love with him.”

When discussing the period of Vietnamese Modernist poetry from 1932 to 1941, literary critic Hoai Thanh made insightful and comprehensive remarks about the prominent names of the era: "Never before have we seen such a diversity of poetic souls as Thế Lữ, dreamy like Lưu Trọng Lư, heroic like Huy Thông, pure like Nguyễn Nhược Pháp, sorrowful like Huy Cận, eccentric like Chế Lan Viên, Hàn Mặc Tử, rustic like Nguyễn Bính, and passionate, restless, and contemplative like Xuân Diệu." Sometimes, one may wonder if Xuân Diệu truly possesses extraordinary qualities to warrant Hoai Thanh's use of three adjectives to capture his poetic essence. But upon reading Xuân Diệu’s poetry, we realize that even three words may be insufficient to describe the depth of his work. Before the revolution, Xuân Diệu's poetry spoke of love with intense yearning and passion, often likened to a French kiss between lovers lost in their emotions. His poetry resembled a garden full of various scents, a symphony of sounds, and love in all its forms—from innocent shyness to passionate longing to obsessive madness. "Vội vàng" (Hurry Up) stands as the quintessential example of Xuân Diệu’s writing style and poetic soul during this period. In it, the poet experiences a vast range of emotions driven by love, emotions that are refreshingly new and unlike anything we’ve encountered before. They reflect the feelings of "a rushing force of life never before seen in such still waters."

It is also important to note that mentioning Xuân Diệu does not always mean focusing solely on romantic love; his love is vast and boundless. He deeply cherishes nature, the beauty of spring, the preciousness of human youth, and life itself, with a small part devoted to romantic love. That’s why Xuân Diệu is often referred to as the king of love poetry, and here, the word "love" encompasses much more than mere romance.

Returning to "Vội vàng," in the first stanza, the poet’s soul emerges with a strange desire to hold on to time. It feels as if there are two distinct "selves" in the poem, both yearning for the beauty of creation, representing the selfishness and individuality that emerge in Modernist poetry for the first time.

"I want to stop the sun,

So its color doesn’t fade away,

I want to bind the wind,

So the scent doesn’t fly away."

The repetition of "I want to..." reveals the poet's intense desire to halt time, to freeze the moments of spring—its warm golden light, and the fragrance of blooming flowers. The poet’s passionate yearning is clearly expressed in these somewhat eccentric wishes. Initially, one might view Xuân Diệu as audacious and reckless in his demands, but upon further reflection, one might see him as a child, innocent and stubborn, desiring to claim whatever catches his fancy. This "selfishness" is naive and understandable. It’s no wonder that Xuân Diệu is considered the most modern of the Modernist poets—his contemporaries also wrote Modernist poetry, but they still sought to escape from the world, dreaming of distant realms, while Xuân Diệu showed that beauty exists right here on Earth, and that time is precious. His poetry has become a spark that seeks to "burn the fairyland and send everyone back to the earthly realm." Aware of life’s brevity, Xuân Diệu cherishes his fleeting existence, especially the beauty of youth and spring. Faced with the passage of time, Xuân Diệu is consumed with fear, knowing that everything he cherishes—the sunlight and the flowers—will eventually fade. Thus, his longing to "stop the sun" and "bind the wind" is born of a deep fear of losing the beauty of spring.

In the next eight lines, Xuân Diệu momentarily abandons his frantic desire to halt time and immerses himself in the splendor of the spring garden with pure joy and passion. This is reflected in the rich, vibrant imagery of nature and love he evokes with his words.

"Here are the bees during their honeymoon,

Here are the flowers of the green meadow,

Here are the leaves of the slender branches,

Here are the yến anh birds singing love songs,

And here is the light flashing across my eyelashes,

Each morning, the spirit of Joy knocks on the door,

January is as sweet as a pair of lips."

From these lines, one can see Xuân Diệu's boundless joy upon discovering a paradise right next to him, where he has always lived. The repetition of "here are..." creates a rhythmic, almost musical flow, echoing the rapture of a spring song, capturing the poet’s amazement and delight at the vibrant beauty of nature. Every scene before his eyes—bees in love, flowers blooming in vibrant colors, the playful sway of leaves, the love song of the birds—stirs the poet’s heart. In the warmth of this paradise, Xuân Diệu experiences an overwhelming sense of wonder, and he opens himself fully to it. The imagery of "the light flashing across my eyelashes" evokes the image of a young woman basking in the spring sunlight, adding a delicate, almost flirtatious touch to the scene. Before the awe-inspiring beauty of spring, Xuân Diệu feels both proud and privileged to embrace this moment in time fully. The phrase "each morning, the spirit of Joy knocks on the door" conveys Xuân Diệu's sense of gratitude for each day, each opportunity to live. The line "January is as sweet as a pair of lips" captures Xuân Diệu’s romantic, almost childlike desire to seize and enjoy the beauty of the world, no matter how fleeting.

Yet, Xuân Diệu also expresses a fear of losing this beauty, as shown by his reflection: "Spring is coming, which means spring is passing, Spring is young, which means it will grow old, And when spring is gone, so will I." Here, Xuân Diệu acknowledges the inevitable passage of time, the cyclical nature of nature and life, but he also fears that he will not be able to experience all of it before it is gone. He feels that the world is too small for his vast heart, and the brevity of human life makes him feel sorrowful, even for the Earth itself.

However, Xuân Diệu does not remain lost in this despair for long. He quickly finds a solution that contrasts with his earlier, more naive wishes. His new understanding of the fleeting nature of life is reflected in his resolve to "Hurry up! The season hasn’t yet reached its end, I want to embrace everything that is new and flourishing; I want to feel the wind and the butterflies in love; I want to savor the spring with all my senses, and feel the warmth and light." Xuân Diệu’s renewed sense of urgency and vigor shows a deeper appreciation for life, urging us to fully embrace the moments we have before they slip away. His desire to "embrace everything" is a testament to his profound love for life, spring, and youth. Xuân Diệu’s poetry reveals a deep yearning for every experience, urging us to seize every fleeting moment before it vanishes.

"Vội vàng" is a clear reflection of Xuân Diệu’s deep love for spring, youth, and life itself. His poetry, full of vitality and intense passion, resonated with his contemporaries, who were often taken aback by the strength of his emotions. Over time, his style became more familiar, and readers came to understand the romanticism of his work. Whether joyful or sorrowful, Xuân Diệu’s poetry remains a celebration of life, love, and beauty that will never fade.

Xuan Dieu is a prominent poet in the New Poetry movement. He is hailed as the "king of love poetry," and the "poet of love," due to his passionate, heartfelt poetry that follows the call of love. It seems that his verses are the expression of his own emotions. The poem "Voi Vang" (Hastily) is one such example, celebrating the beauty of nature while reflecting the intense human feelings when confronted with this beauty.

In the poem, the emotional state of the lyrical subject is complex. At times, the character is overwhelmed with passion, but then suddenly, their mood shifts to a quiet, deep longing. Nature appears in the eyes of the lyrical subject with the most beautiful imagery:

The butterflies and bees are here during the honeymoon

Here are the flowers of the green meadow

Here are the leaves of the slender branches swaying gently.

The nightingales are here singing love songs.

The scene in the poem is like a paradise on earth, brimming with butterflies, flowers, and love songs. The lyrical subject feels as though they are lost in this paradise. Everything is so strange and beautiful, overwhelming the person who experiences it, filling their soul with joy and excitement. It is then that the subject realizes there are many new experiences awaiting us to discover. These emotions make the poet overflow with a fleeting desire:

I am delighted, yet hurried half-heartedly

I do not wait for summer to fade before enjoying spring.

In a moment of joy, filled with love and the arrival of spring, the character suddenly senses something, causing their emotions to calm down. The conjunction "but" slows the tone of the poem, bringing a pause to the previously happy mood. Despite this, the character still feels the need to rush. Why the haste? Perhaps, it is because no matter how beautiful nature is, it cannot retain its beauty forever. Flowers wilt, birds stop singing, time moves on, and nothing can halt this inevitable passage. Through this, we understand that Xuan Dieu deeply loves nature and life. Moreover, he conveys a very positive attitude toward life. People need to live with purpose and meaning, so that, no matter what happens, they have no regrets.

The scent of May brings the taste of parting

Across rivers and mountains, a whisper of farewell can still be heard.

Facing time and space, the poet's emotions overflow uncontrollably. This is the feeling of separation. No matter how much we love each other, we cannot avoid parting. Eventually, we must accept it, whether early or late. The sorrow of parting is deeply painful and heart-wrenching. This moment makes Xuan Dieu once again express his overwhelming emotions with sorrowful verses:

Never again, oh! Never again

Hurry up! Spring has not yet set into the evening.

Upon witnessing the fading beauty of nature over time, Xuan Dieu encourages himself to savor the beauty of nature and life, to fully embrace every moment, without letting any time slip away in vain.

In the final verses, Xuan Dieu reveals his intense, burning desire:

I want to embrace all that is alive, beginning to bloom

I want to chase the clouds and let the wind swirl

I want to become intoxicated by the butterfly’s flight, filled with love

I want to savor all in one passionate kiss.

The rhythm of the poem suddenly becomes faster, more urgent, as the repeated use of "I" in every line reflects the poet’s pent-up, passionate yearnings. Perhaps this is the result of emotions that had long been repressed and now burst out. Spring is so beautiful, but before the poet has a chance to fully experience it, he contemplates the inevitable disappearance of everything as time passes. This modern awareness of time’s fleeting nature serves to inspire future generations, teaching them to love nature and cherish the present moment.

The passion for nature and life that Xuân Diệu expresses is most vividly and intensely reflected in his poem 'Vội vàng.' In 'Thi nhân Việt Nam,' the literary critic and scholar Hoài Thanh notes: Xuân Diệu is captivated by love, fascinated by the world, living quickly, living in a hurry... This observation is both subtle and accurate, for by naming the poem 'Vội vàng,' Xuân Diệu reveals a profound understanding of himself. One might consider this poem a manifesto of the poet's approach to life.

Xuan Dieu has a deep, ardent love for life. For the poet, life encompasses both the pleasures of the material and spiritual worlds, along with all its mundane and elevated aspects. Through 'Vội vàng,' the poet opens his heart, expressing his sincere affection for life.

There are many differing interpretations of Xuân Diệu's philosophy of life. Some argue that his rush to live stems from his awareness of the infinite passage of time and the finite nature of human life. The most valuable thing for a person is life itself, so one must seize every moment and live fully. Others believe that Xuân Diệu's love for life is so intense that he fears losing it. In his love, he feels it slipping away, so he is constantly anxious, oscillating between joy and sorrow. Therefore, whether he loves nature or people, Xuân Diệu approaches them with an insatiable, eager, and hasty passion.

His 'I' in this poem reveals two opposing yet united states of mind: at times fervent to the point of obsession, and at other times tender and deep. By closely reading the poem, one can trace the emotional progression of the lyrical character: moments of carefree love for life, moments of fiery passion, and moments of anxiety and uncertainty.

'Vội vàng,' while a lyrical poem, contains a specific philosophy of life. The structure of the poem can be divided into two parts, separated by the brief line: 'Ta muốn ôm.' The first part presents reasons for living hurriedly. This attitude towards life comes from an understanding of happiness, time, and youth. To Xuân Diệu, earthly life is like a wondrous paradise filled with countless sources of happiness. But these beauties only appear truly divine during the spring of life, and people can only experience these joys when they are young. Unfortunately, youth is fleeting. Time has the power to take everything away. Therefore, the only choice is to race against time, to live hastily. This is a progressive and positive philosophy of life.

The second part of the poem shows the lyrical character's hasty actions as he enjoys life's beauty. The emotions are clearly expressed in his eager actions, in the dazed state of his 'I,' who longs to savor the fragrances and colors of this earthly garden.

The two parts flow smoothly and logically, making the poem cohesive and complete. It is like a natural, unstoppable flow of emotions. This is one of the poem's remarkable achievements.

The opening quatrain of the second section introduces bold and paradoxical ideas:

'I want to stop the sunlight,'

'So the color won’t fade,'

'I want to tie up the wind,'

'So the fragrance won’t fly away.'

The poet desires to take control of nature, reversing its natural laws. He wishes to stop the sun, to bind the wind. This strange desire reveals the poet’s boundless, impetuous love for humans, life, and the world, overflowing with color and scent. It seems Xuân Diệu wants to show us the cruelty of nature, only to slowly explain his hurried approach to life.

First of all, Xuân Diệu perceives nature and life in his unique way. For him, they form a paradise on earth. This paradise, rich in colors and fragrances, appears in the poem as both a love garden of all things in springtime and as an enchanting lover. Xuân Diệu’s connection with nature is, in essence, a profound emotion toward it. All around the poet, nature is teeming with life, brimming with vitality and allure, drawing everyone into its embrace:

'Here are the bees, butterflies, this is the honeymoon month.'

'Here are the flowers of the lush fields.'

'Here are the leaves of tender branches swaying.'

'Here are the nightingales, in love’s sweet song.'

'And here, the light twinkles on the eyelashes.'

'Every morning, the Spirit of Joy knocks on my door.'

All the love and scenery in this passage are depicted vividly by the author: The bees and butterflies are in their honeymoon, the myriad spring flowers bloom in their glory, the tender shoots and branches sway, and the nightingales sing their love song. The light twinkles like a playful spark in the morning. The poem feels like the innocent, joyful shout of a child lost in a garden full of fragrances, filled with vibrant music and all sorts of sounds. For Xuân Diệu, every new day is a new joy, and life seems like an endless chain of joys: 'Every morning, the Spirit of Joy knocks on my door.'

The repetition of the phrase 'Here are...' five times emphasizes the beauty of the spring garden, highlighting the boundless richness of nature with an unusual enthusiasm. Then comes a unique comparison: 'The first month of the year tastes as sweet as a lover's kiss.' Xuân Diệu expresses his delicate feelings by shifting sensations. Instead of saying January is beautiful, he says it is delicious, capturing the tender, fresh, and seductive vitality of the season. As a poet of love, Xuân Diệu finds similarities between the beauty of nature and the allure of a young woman in the prime of spring.

These two stanzas are tightly connected. The poet's desire to stop the sunlight and bind the wind is meant to preserve the beauty of the earthly spring garden. Yet, unfortunately, this beauty only flourishes during springtime, which is fleeting. As the poet joyfully embraces the beauty that nature has bestowed upon all living things, this joy is soon replaced by sorrow as he faces the harsh reality:

'Spring is coming; this means spring is leaving.'

'Spring is still young, which means it will grow old.'

'When spring ends, this means I, too, will be lost.'

'My heart is vast, but the heavens remain small.'

'They won’t allow the youth of humankind to last.'

In the poet’s view, spring, youth, and love represent the most beautiful things in life. Spring is the most beautiful season; youth is the most beautiful stage of life; and love is most beautiful when it accompanies youth. But tragically, nature, the invisible force that creates beauty, also destroys it coldly. Spring and youth are both short-lived. Time will sweep everything away: 'Spring is coming, which means spring is leaving,' and 'Spring is still young, which means it will grow old.' Therefore, one must hurry to savor every color, every scent, and every sweet drop of life.