Anti-American Poetry: Time Range, Outstanding Features


representative writers such as Tran Quang Long, Dong Trinh, Tran Vang Sao, Ngo Kha, Tan Hoai Da Vu, Thai Ngoc San, Le Van Ngan, etc. for research. Here, the concept of "progressive patriotism" is understood in the sense of fighting against foreign invaders, fighting for independence and freedom, expressing national pride and self-respect; distinguishing it from the urban youth poetry that is outside this "patriotic framework" (and also outside the scope of the topic; however, when necessary, comparison and contrast can be made).

Particularly in source 1 (young Northern poetry), poems that for some reason were not published during the anti-American period (or were published but on a limited scale), are now widely and publicly circulated: such as Luu Quang Vu - Posthumous Works ; poems by Ly Phuong Lien, Le Huy Quang, Hoang Hung, Le Xuan Do,... And also Pham Tien Duat (poem Unpopulated Forests ), Lam Thi My Da (poem Days Without You ), Bang Viet (poem Thinking Back About Pauxtopxky ),... Or some newly collected compositions (printed in Khuc Truong Ca Thanh Co [10]): Poems by Tran Le An, Pham Dong Hung, Nguyen Trong Dinh, Nguyen Van Thac, Nguyen Hai Nghiem,... are all within the scope of our survey.

- Regarding the materials: We exploit the poems of many generations composed during the period of fighting against the US to save the country. The main source is the poems of the young generation of poets, extending to the poems of the resistance against the French and the first period of poetry after 1975, but the quantity is not much, only used when necessary.

4. RESEARCH METHODS

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4.1. Historical method

In studying the inspiration and tone of young poetry during the anti-American period, we put all the works of this generation of poets into a specific historical context (the war of national liberation) for examination; research in a dialectical relationship in an objective, scientific order. At the same time, the inspiration and tone of young poetry are also examined in a close relationship with anti-American poetry in particular, and the process of resistance poetry in general.

Anti-American Poetry: Time Range, Outstanding Features

4.2. Systemic method

Every element exists in a system, and any system contains its constituent elements. We consider the inspiration and tone in young poetry during the anti-American period as a system. Studying this system means going into the survey and analysis.


forms of inspiration and types of tone (i.e. elements). The relationship between the elements of inspiration and the elements of tone is the dialectical relationship between thought and art, content and form.

4.3. Comparison and contrast method

From the results of the systematic method, we compare and contrast the inspiration and tone in young poetry during the anti-American period with the inspiration and tone in the anti-American poetry of previous generations to clarify the characteristics of young poetry during the anti-American period as an artistic phenomenon, an aesthetic entity. At the same time, when necessary, we also compare on the following levels: period (patriotic poetry before and during the anti-American period); region (young anti-American poetry in the North - young anti-American poetry in the South); gender (young anti-American poetry of men - young anti-American poetry of women),...

4.4. Typological method

Researching the inspiration and tone of young poetry during the anti-American period, that is, its subject belongs to the lyrical genre. Closely following the characteristics of the genre, in the process of examining and analyzing each type of inspiration and each type of tone, we always pay attention to issues such as "lyrical ego", "lyrical character", "aesthetic emotion", "artistic symbol", "poetic form", "poetic rhythm", "inner world",...

4.5. Analysis and synthesis methods

To make the thesis convincing, we apply this method to analyze artistic signals, language structures, etc.; thereby synthesizing and highlighting the forms of inspiration and types of tones in Vietnamese youth poetry during the anti-American period.

- In addition to combining the above methods, to examine images and colors with symbolic meaning; to examine the organization of artistic text,... we also use the method of poetics .

5. CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE THESIS

About theory:

Contribute to concretizing inspiration and artistic tone (through a survey of young poetry during the anti-American period); apply to the study of a poetic genre that arose in a special historical period.


Regarding literary history: - Clarifying the scope of anti-American poetry; the concept of "young poetry", the milestones of formation and stages of movement of young poetry during the anti-American period. This is an issue that currently has different opinions.

- Discuss and prove the forms of inspiration and types of tone in young poetry during the anti-American period; affirm the contributions of this poetic genre to the cause of national liberation and the development of modern Vietnamese poetry; point out some of its limitations.

In practice: Contribute to the teaching and learning of anti-American poetry in general and young poetry in particular in a new direction, suitable for the country's integration period.

6. THESIS STRUCTURE

In addition to the Introduction (30 pages), Conclusion (5 pages), References (199 topics), and Poems surveyed (109 topics); the structure of the Thesis includes:

- Chapter 1. Anti-American poetry and Vietnamese youth poetry during the anti-American resistance war (43 pages): Overview, generalization of anti-American poetry and Vietnamese youth poetry during the anti-American resistance war; solving problems of time span, characteristics (anti-American poetry), concepts, processes (youth poetry during the anti-American resistance war).

- Chapter 2. Artistic inspiration in young Vietnamese poetry during the anti-American resistance war (58 pages): Presents the theoretical concept of inspiration; analyzes the forms of inspiration (romantic - epic, committed - involved, tragic, personal and worldly) and some methods of expressing inspiration.

- Chapter 3. The tone of Vietnamese young poetry during the anti-American resistance war (56 pages): Presents the theoretical concept of tone; analyzes the types of tone (optimistic generosity, lyrical sadness, philosophical contemplation, tormented self-questioning) and some techniques for creating tone.


CHAPTER 1


ANTI-AMERICAN POETRY AND VIETNAMESE YOUTH POETRY DURING THE ANTI-AMERICAN RESISTANCE WAR

1.1. Anti-American poetry: Time range, outstanding features

1.1.1. Time amplitude

The name “Anti-American Poetry” has been used since the war had not yet stopped. However, not everyone and not at all times agrees on its time range.

We believe that the amplitude of the resistance war against the US, as defined by historical compilers, is consistent with the idea that “Vietnam is one, the Vietnamese people are one” (Ho Chi Minh). To be more specific, it means that since the US sent troops to the South (1955) under the guise of “advisers” to build a political regime, against the Vietnamese people’s desire for national unification, the US officially invaded Vietnam. At the same time, the struggle of the people in the South in many forms, in all fields (including poetry) was considered an anti-US attitude and action (regardless of North and South). When bombs and bullets spread throughout the country, the US imperialists crazily attacked the North, and massively sent troops to the South (1965), the situation of the war had entered an extremely fierce phase (escalation of the war), not that the resistance war against the US had just begun from here. The truth is obvious, everyone understands it like that.

However, in terms of literature, some documents determine that the range of anti-American poetry began from 1964 (or 1965) to 1975, that is, in about ten years. The book "History of Vietnamese Literature" volume III wrote: "The resistance war against the US to save the country to liberate the South and protect the North lasted more than 10 years..." [94, p.120]. Not only the above book History of Literature, but previously, most literary historians divided Vietnamese poetry in the period 1955 - 1975 into two stages. The first stage was from 1955 to 1964, the second stage was from 1965 to 1975. In fact, literary historians based their analysis on the two strategic tasks of the Vietnamese revolution after the resistance war.


Victory against the French (1954): the North restored the economy and built socialism, the South fought to unify the country (political criteria).

However, in literature, it is difficult to have such a clear cut. Moreover, the name “Poetry of the struggle for national unification” (only one of the two contents in the poetry of 1955 - 1964) with the concept of “anti-American poetry”, in our opinion, is only one. And it is even more impossible to wait until the American invaders massively wage war throughout the country before there is anti-American poetry. Regarding this issue, researcher Nguyen Dang Diep, in the article “Anti-American poetry, achievements and artistic experiences” has a passage: “Up to now, when researching anti-American poetry, many people believe that anti-American poetry falls within the period from 1965 to 1975. However, it is necessary to pay more attention to the amplitude: In fact, anti-American poetry appeared quite a lot right after the Geneva Agreement was signed. Furthermore, although this war ended in 1975, in the late 70s and early 80s of the 20th century, many excellent poems and epic poems appeared praising the great national war of defense" [29, p.11].

According to Nguyen Dang Diep, the expansion of anti-American poetry should be more than ten years before 1965 and should be extended after the war ended (1975) by about ten years. That is, in fact, in the first decade of the post-war period, by inertia, epic inspiration was still dominant, although the expression tendency was somewhat different from the wartime. That is not to mention, in the late 1970s, when the Southwestern border war and the Northern border war broke out, poetry continued to go to war, the spirit of the anti-American poetry period echoed again, the heroic voice re-emerged: "The North floods, the South floods, blood soaks the border / Hands against the sky, hands to protect the country, straining the tendons" (To Huu). However, in our opinion, about ten years after the liberation of the South, poets who wrote about the fierce resistance war that they had experienced (Huu Thinh, Thanh Thao, Nguyen Duc Mau, Tran Manh Hao, ...) should be considered as poems about the theme of war, writing about a time to remember, rather than anti-American poems as they composed during the war years. Therefore, it is impossible to separate anti-American poetry from the anti-American resistance war. In our opinion, the amplitude of anti-American poetry coincides with the resistance war that our people waged continuously for more than twenty years (1955 - 1975). The ten years (1965 - 1975) are considered as


The peak of anti-American poetry, or as Nguyen Hoang Son said, was the birth of the " Anti-American Poetry Movement" [133, p.21].

Regarding this issue, researcher Nguyen Ba Thanh affirmed: “Anti-American poetry began with poetry fighting for national reunification, but it really flourished when the war broke out nationwide” [160, p.245]. Similarly, researcher Vu Tuan Anh wrote: “Anti-American poetry was like a river that gushed forth from 1964, but there were preconditions…. Anti-American poetry had been heard in the South since 1955, 1956, when American military advisors strode swaggeringly on the streets of Saigon, when their plot to permanently divide our country and turn it into a new type of colony was exposed” [3, p.116] .

If we consider the time range like that, then all the works before 1965 with content expressing the desire for national reunification, condemning the crimes of the US - Diem, praising the heroic fighting spirit of the people of the South, such as " Vietnamese daughter", "Forever and ever hatred, never vanish", "Can there be peace" by To Huu, "His grave flowers bloom" by Thanh Hai, "Homeland" by Giang Nam, "The song of the wandering birds" by Thu Bon, "Remembering the river of the homeland" , "Sound of waves" by Te Hanh, "The sound of roosters crowing", "Heroic rivers" by Ca Le Hien, Bright fire in the forest by Thai Giang, ... are all in the flow of anti-American poetry to save the country.

Another issue arising from research works is that there are currently different opinions about the starting point of the Anti-American Poetry Movement , that is, poetry during the war years that spread throughout the country (1965 - 1975). In "Vietnamese Literature Against America to Save the Country", there is a passage: "Anti-American poetry from 1964 was a climax with new developments in both quantity and quality" [195, p.117]. Or, according to the compilers of "History of Vietnamese Literature, Volume III", " 1964 - 1975. Literature during the climax of the anti-American resistance to save the country" [94, p.52]. However, in "Textbook of Modern Vietnamese Literature, Volume II", it is determined: "Poetry during the period of resistance against America ( 1965 - 1975)" [79, p.39]. In 2005, in his article, researcher Nguyen Dang Diep confirmed: "Up to now, when researching anti-American poetry, many people believe that anti-American poetry is from 1965 to 1975" [29, p.11].


So, which year should be taken as the starting point for the anti-American poetry movement? 1964 or 1965? Taking 1964 as the starting point also has its basis. That is, after the Gulf of Tonkin incident, the bombs and bullets of the US imperialists officially crossed the 17th parallel, challenging the survival of the nation, the North surged with fighting spirit; anti-American poetry was strongly promoted, showing "more intense" and more urgent than before. However, in our opinion, the amplitude of the second stage must start from 1965 to the end of the war in 1975. That is, from the time the US soldiers entered the battlefield, directly confronting our army and people, and simultaneously massively attacking the North; when the anti-American spirit was pushed to its peak, especially after President Ho Chi Minh's Appeal . And when poetry all over the country was filled with epic inspiration, marching to battle; From then on, anti-American poetry rose like a movement whose echoes went beyond borders.

In addition, in Nguyen Trong Tao's opinion, the range of anti-American poetry began in 1960 and ended in 1975. In the article "Youthful qualities in young anti-American poetry" there is a passage: "The soul music of anti-American poetry ( 1960 - 1975) is the optimistic marching music full of vitality of a nation that dared to "cut through Truong Son to save the country" [149, p.117]. Because this is not a research article in the form of literary history, Nguyen Trong Tao does not explain why 1960 was taken as the starting point for anti-American poetry. We speculate that the author of the article may have based on the turning point of the anti-American resistance that took place in 1960: the Dong Khoi Ben Tre Movement, the birth of the Southern Liberation Front, and the following year the Southern Liberation Literature and Arts Association was established. These events impacted poetry, pushing poetry into a more intense and fierce anti-American phase, not only in the South but Northern poetry also participated in fighting the US: "During the years of socialist peace in the North, our poets still participated in fighting the enemy on topics about the Southern battlefield" [193, p.482].

However, that is just our judgment. However, for literary historians, Nguyen Trong Tao’s above opinion can be considered a strange hypothesis, to be further thought about. We believe that if we take 1960 as the starting point of the young poetry movement during the anti-American period, it is completely reasonable (the issue will be discussed in the subsection “The movement of young poetry”).


Thus, the range of anti-American poetry (full name “Vietnamese Poetry during the Anti-American Resistance War”) includes time, space and ideological tendencies. We believe that, during the anti-American resistance war to save the country (1955 - 1975), regardless of the North or the South, the liberated zone or the zone controlled by the Saigon government, all works on the theme of patriotism, resistance to foreign invasion, demanding independence, national unity, freedom and democracy for the people are all within the common “outline” of anti-American poetry (the core of which is revolutionary poetry). That poetry has its peak as a movement: the Anti-American Poetry Movement 1965 - 1975 .

1.1.2. Outstanding features

1.1.2.1. Some characteristics of ideology and emotion

Obviously, no one wants to fight America, oppose America if America does not invade Vietnam; even more so, no one wants to launch a war with an imperialist superpower to write poetry and be proud. But the unwanted thing still happens. In fact, in this country, an anti-American poetry has appeared. That poetry has shown abundant vitality, has a shining position in the history of national poetry, and resonates beyond the borders.

Compared to the previous wars of our ancestors, this resistance war is a historical confrontation of human scale, the enemy is the most powerful and brutal empire in the world. To defeat such an enemy, it can be said that the Vietnamese people have mobilized the total strength of tradition and the times. The most prominent is still spiritual strength, ideological strength. This strength is the source of all strength, combined with material potential to create victory.

Anti-American poetry undertakes the task of propagating ideology and sentiment, transforming political sentiment into artistic sentiment. Or more correctly, political sentiment blends with artistic sentiment, a completely voluntary and natural harmony. Anti-American poetry is generally political poetry, but politics has been artisticized and poeticized: “Oh, today my heart is like a gun barrel / Destroying America is the nobility of love” (Che Lan Vien). When both politics and art are directed towards the survival of the nation, towards the independence and unity of the Fatherland; when art is powerful enough to move people’s hearts, then as Song Hong said: “Political poetry is also 100% poetry like other poems” [82, p.124]. Entering the resistance war against America, the Party and President Ho Chi Minh

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