Two Stages of Development of Tay Ethnic Poetry After 1945

A special face of this trend is Vi Thuy Linh. Born in 1980, but up to now, she has released 6 collections to readers: Khat (1999), Linh (2000), Dong Tu (2006), ViLi in love (bilingual Vietnamese - English, 2008), Phim doi - tinh tu chan (2010), Chu du cung ong noi (2011) not only representing the creativity and daring to innovate in young authors of Tay ethnic poetry but also of young contemporary poetry authors. In just a short time, with the publication of two collections of poetry: Khat (1999) and Linh (2000), Vi Thuy Linh has become a "phenomenon", making an impressive name for herself in the young poetry community and in the hearts of poetry lovers. However, because of the birth of those two poetry collections, Vi Thuy Linh also became a topic that caused a stir in public opinion, to the point that for a period of time, when mentioning the strangeness and innovation in poetry, people cited Vi Thuy Linh as a typical example.

For Vi Thuy Linh, the limitation when placing her in the group of ethnic minority poets is the lack of Tay cultural capital. Vi Thuy Linh's grandfather is Tay, Vi Thuy Linh's father is also Tay but lives mainly in Hanoi. Vi Thuy Linh has Tay roots but has actually been "uprooted" from her homeland. Vi Thuy Linh's poetry quickly and decisively entered the orbit of modern poetry. In the words of poet Y Phuong, Vi Thuy Linh's poetry is like litchis from Hai Duong brought to Cao Bang to be grown - great changes are inevitable. Linh writes verses full of longing:

Rain shelf rain shelf

Pollen flies on marble skin The sky is clear as a bottle of white wine The male wind

Maybe you are interested!

Making love alone on the roof (1)

I put lipstick on your lips nine nine times

in an evening with your lips

…The deaf people listened to music engrossed. The blind people were absorbed in taking pictures. The mute people laughed and danced. The paralyzed people ran around happily.

Let's take off our lives with the feeling of being in love

( Love Map )

(1) Poetry by Duong Tuong.

In that vague space and time, between dream and reality, the woman in Vi Thuy Linh’s poetry seems to touch the paradoxical limit of dreams, which is reality, which is her own finiteness. Her poems talk a lot about time, and every time she ponders and experiences time at night, she becomes even more startled. That is the kind of time that is not equal to years or months but leaves its own mark: time lingers in the eyes, time is hardening on you; or ways of measuring: a leaf as dry as a widow’s eyebrow, hair the color of dry leaves …

The poetry collection ViLi in love (2008 with 29 poems, divided into 3 parts: Forever childhood days, Love of Hanoi, Children and Paris ) is the first Vietnamese - English bilingual poetry collection by Vi Thuy Linh with the participation of two translators Duong Tuong and Trinh Lu. She confided: “Don’t look for fierceness and violence here, and don’t “mistake” me for being rebellious. I have never been rebellious. My strong impulse is the constant strength, that’s who I am. Try to work hard, find new words, images, and expressions, preserve the soul and imagination; but not trying to do something that is not yourself, destroying or denying anything else" and then Couple Movie - Slow Love (2010) with many bold innovations... it was thought that Vi Thuy Linh's style was "nailed" with rebellion and passion, considering love as a religion, an empire with a capitalized Anh... but in Chu du cung ong noi (2011), she made readers wonder and look back, because there was a different Vi Thuy Linh, a child of the homeland's culture, of simple, humane childhood memories...

The trend of modernization seems to be an inevitable development of Tay poetry in particular and the literature and culture of ethnic groups. The culture of not only the Tay ethnic group has undergone great changes in the face of the trend of economic globalization and the process of world economic integration. It is undeniable the level of influence and the close organic connection between economy and culture. That is why a problem that many people are interested in is how culture, literature, and more narrowly, poetry, have changed in the face of that exchange.

Tay literature in general and Tay poetry in particular have changed over time, a part of the compositions developed in the direction of joining the general orbit of contemporary Vietnamese poetry. After 1986, ethnic minority poetry developed and changed more strongly than the previous period. It is worth mentioning that the poets have their own original

become more aware of the stature of their nation, from affirming their national identity to cultural integration, and from there affirming a new position. The content of their works has gone from focusing on the task of propagating and praising their homeland and country, to now deeply exploiting the human condition of ethnic minorities and mountainous areas. Some young writers no longer follow the traditional writing style; some harmonize traditional and modern elements. On the contrary, many older people are still bound by the traditional writing style, not breaking free from the old stereotypes of the old writing style. However, looking at the whole picture, Tay ethnic poetry is getting better and better, modern while still maintaining national characteristics, with depth in the way of writing with visual language ; besides some existing limitations such as simplicity in the way of expression, many poems only tell and describe purely; the writing style is repetitive, circular, old, and trite; Some writing styles are forced, "imitation" in a modern direction but are not effective.

For ethnic minority poets, when "coming down from the mountains to the city", carrying within them the breath of the forest, integrating into the "wide plains that lean on empty sides" (a verse by Duong Thuan), they will become more and more aware of preserving their ethnic culture. For those who have the courage to write and have a deep attachment to their ethnic group, this is not difficult. Even though sometimes they do not do it intentionally, their works still reach a large number of readers thanks to the ethnic and modern elements as we have just analyzed above. Examining the works of some ethnic minority poets who have lived and written for a long time in the lowlands such as Nong Quoc Chan, Mai Lieu, Y Phuong, Duong Thuan..., this is also very clear. Nong Quoc Chan is not only the one who has the first merit in building and developing the team of artists and writers who are ethnic minorities, but in his works he also shows his respect for the cultural values and people of the Tay ethnic group. He still writes poetry, writes many critical essays on ethnic minority literature when he held the position of Deputy Minister of Culture and then Principal of Nguyen Du Writing School... It can be seen that the works of these authors have certain changes through different stages in different cultural conditions. It is necessary to acknowledge a dialectical relationship between people and circumstances when political and social activities along with the living environment have a significant impact on their works. The process of cohabitation leads to cultural symbiosis, as Hoang Ngoc Hien believes, the relationship between French culture and Vietnamese culture in the regime

Colonialism is a symbiotic relationship. Between the majority and the minority, there is not only cultural exchange but also cultural integration, although "Vietnamese ethnic groups all share an ancient cultural foundation. Even though culture cannot be drawn into boundaries like administrative territories, it is still necessary to talk about a specific land where people live and create" [81, p. 284].

The change in social life creates a new social psychology, a new way of looking at things, a new way of thinking. This has caused literary and artistic creations to have a clear change, not just stopping at influence but also acculturation (some people call it cultural fusion). When living together, many authors write very well about life in the highlands (To Hoai, Ma Van Khang, Nguyen Ngoc...). Another explanation is also needed for the opposite problem that there are authors who do not have deep contact, do not live in the cultural environment of the lowlands, but their poetry still loses its own national character. The problem is in the worldview, the way of thinking. The era and class create a certain field of possibilities (champ des possibilités). But the specific environment, specific life, specific personality of the writer will decide to choose a certain possibility among the countless possibilities that can happen. Hyppolite Taine based on race, milieu, moment to explain the formation of an author. Here we need to recall the concept of cultural embodiment, that is, grasping the experience of ethnic culture, especially for a certain local-historical culture. We need to distinguish cultural embodiment from cultural socialization, which is grasping the experience of human interaction in general, and only cultural embodiment can a cultured person appear [9, p.345].

Ethnic minority literature, Tay ethnic literature and Kinh literature no longer have many boundaries as they are all components of Vietnamese literature. Ethnic people writing in the lowlands and lowland people writing in ethnic areas are becoming more and more popular due to increasingly dense exchanges. Poetry and literature of Tay ethnic poets in particular, and ethnic minority poetry in general, have made significant contributions to the appearance and development of contemporary Vietnamese literature. Up to now, after more than half a century of development, four generations of authors of modern ethnic minority literature still write with one thought in mind: I have a dreamy stream/ Going out to the big sea is still not satisfied/ The silver waves do not rest for a single day (Y Phuong).

Chapter 2

REALITY OF LIFE

IN TAY ETHNIC POETRY FROM 1945 TO PRESENT

2.1. Two stages of development of Tay ethnic poetry after 1945

The August Revolution was a milestone not only in the history of the Vietnamese nation but also opened a new path for the country's literature. Poetry began to develop strongly. The generation of poets who grew up from the August Revolution, together with the poets of the New Poetry movement, formed a powerful creative force, embracing rich sources of themes from the reality of life and the revolutionary struggle for thirty years. By 1975, when peace was restored in both the North and the South, the Fatherland was completely unified, another new turning point was opened. Literature at this time also moved in a new social atmosphere and conditions, it can be seen that "democratization and humanism are the overarching inspirations, developing diversely and complexly" [48, p.367] in literature after 1975.

From 1945 to now, the two stages of development of Vietnamese literature as well as ethnic minority literature, Tay ethnic literature in particular, have many differences in inspiration. From 1945 to 1975, Tay ethnic poetry (as well as ethnic minority poetry) was formed and developed on the foundation of a changing reality - that is the resistance war of the nation, along with the observation and learning from a poetry with many achievements (in relation to the poetry of lowland authors). Therefore, it operates according to the aesthetic ideal of lowland poetry, and it is reasonable to be a little behind/slower. During this period, as well as the poetry of Kinh authors, Tay ethnic poetry also exploited the ideal people of society, the most typical and most completely crystallized image of "Uncle Ho's soldier". Ethnic minority poets as well as Kinh poets of this period had a common basis and starting point for their artistic creations - that is patriotism and the fighting spirit for the cause of national liberation. They saw that following the revolution was to change their lives, to be reborn. The emotions in poetry came naturally and were expressed directly and sincerely. Poetry by Nong Quoc Chan (Tay), Ban Tai Doan (Dao), Cam Bieu, Hoang No, Luong

Quy Nhan (Thai), Dinh Son (Muong), Ma The Vinh (Nung)... also shared the same awareness of the role of citizens in the common fight: The resistance broke out far from the capital/ On the road, walking gracefully with backpacks/ Carrying the will of the Vietnamese people/ Rather die than become slaves of a lost country (Tu Mo).

The change in the perception of poets during this period was internal. If the authors from the lowlands with a large force such as: Huu Loan, Quang Dung, Nguyen Dinh Thi, Hong Nguyen, Minh Hue... were a class of poets "born from the revolution, born from the revolution, and made for the revolution" [48, p.151], then the authors of ethnic minorities also contributed a force, although not really strong, but their maturity and breakthrough came from the years of arduous fighting. At this time, the main inspiration in writing was also the inspiration from the soul and feelings of each poet. That was the ecstasy and enthusiasm when the light of the Party showed the way, the burning spirit of the days of going to battle, the hatred to the marrow of the invading hordes . Tay ethnic poetry before 1945 also had notable works. Nong Quoc Chan with Rain and Wind (1942), Crying for Comrades (1944), but it was not until after the August Revolution with Viet Bac Fighting the Enemy and Sewing Ao Dai (1948), Moving Back to the Village (1950) that he really left a strong impression. The poem Moving Back to the Village by Nong Quoc Chan, was evaluated by researchers in the book 40 Years of Culture and Arts of Vietnamese Ethnic Minorities 1945 - 1985 as "worthy of being on par with the excellent poems in the Vietnamese Resistance Poetry" [1, p.210]. This period also includes Nong Minh Chau, famous for Ba Khe Night, Young Man Holding Deo Giang Pass (1953), Nong Viet Toai with Pay Bo Doi (Going to the Army )...

The first generation of poets of Tay ethnic poetry mainly used poetry as a weapon of revolutionary activities. According to Lam Tien, "revolution, people and folk culture are three sources of inspiration that nurtured the poetry of ethnic minorities during the years of revolution" [92, p.100]. In this early period, Nong Quoc Chan's poetry clearly expressed the ideals of revolutionaries, the steadfastness of people in the face of the country's dangerous situation: Despite the wind and rain, we should not panic/ Tomorrow the sun will shine, the mountains and rivers will be glorious ( Rain and Wind ). After the August Revolution, Tay ethnic poetry mainly wrote about the feelings of the mountain people when there was light.

The light of the Party shows the way, the awakening of the enlightened revolutionaries and the indomitable heroism of people in the fight against the enemy. The awareness of the fate of people and the nation: Brothers and sisters: Tay, Nung, Kinh, Meo, Man.../ Temporarily put away the indigo fields, weaving looms, and con balls/ Say goodbye to the stilt houses and go to sleep in huts/ Protecting Deo Giang is protecting the village ( The young man protecting Deo Giang - Nong Minh Chau).

The fighting spirit of heroes is portrayed simply in a crude language, which is easily seen in Tay ethnic poetry as well as ethnic minority poetry of this period. Many authors focus on slogan-like verses:

The young men in the village were forced to work and serve as soldiers. They raped and tortured our wives and children.

… Those who love their country and people

Be steadfast and persevere through hardships without wavering…

( In the base area - Hoang No, Thai ethnic group)

My hometown is not paradise yet. Still wearing patched clothes, eating corn from the fields.

The path is still thorny and winding, but following the Party will clear the way .

( Viet Bac - Tay Nguyen - Nong Quoc Chan)

In the next ten years, Tay ethnic poetry increasingly recreated life more authentically and deeply. The creative force grew larger and larger, thus bringing richer voices. There were voices that spoke of the excitement of the working life in the North, voices that praised the people who sacrificed themselves to fight for the unification of the country... all appeared in a diverse form like the reality of life. When the North and the South were divided, the themes in poetry also changed significantly. The authors not only exploited the fighting spirit but also the love for the homeland expressed in many aspects: nature, people, labor... and also the quiet moments when depicting a South that was still in pain.

The image of the North building a new life in the poetry of the lowlands is reproduced many times and well: We go to (To Huu), On Phia Den Pass (Hoang Trung Thong), Xa

Thanh Nga (Xuan Dieu), Moonlit Night Meeting, Coffee Farm (Te Hanh), Weaver Girl (Pham Ho)... General feelings about half of the country: I close my eyes/ I don't see any place that isn't beautiful/ Not rich (Tran Mai Ninh). Authors of the period of resistance against the French continued to compose such as Nong Quoc Chan, Nong Minh Chau, Nong Viet Toai... with more and more valuable works. This period also marked Trieu An ( Tung con va suoi dan - published with Nong Minh Chau, Nang ngan, Bon mua hoa ), Be Don, Nong Van But... Due to the authors' greater access, the topics ranged from the mountains to the plains, even internationally. Nong Quoc Chan praised the life of Viet Bac "mountains and forests of many colors of grass and flowers" and confided in his friends in the Central Highlands. His collection Chung mot bai ca (A Song of the Same People ) consists of 14 poems that praise Vietnam's friendship with other countries in the world: My village is a farmer's village/ Nung people, Tho people/ Thousands of kilometers away from Pơragơ/ I don't know how the mountains and rivers of Tiep are similar to Vietnamese land/ But I know the villages and markets on the other side/ All fly red flags ( Hello comrades ). Trieu An uses the image of a horse neighing to metaphorically represent the situation of the country still suffering from oppression and suffering: The sound of a horse neighing is like the sound of a knife/ So that the mandarins can penetrate our hearts... until the country is liberated: The fields, the highlands/ Holding red flags, waving stars, shining in the sky/ The rosy sunlight shines everywhere/ Now hearing the horse neighing is different from the old days.

The fighting images of the South are not exploited much in Tay ethnic poetry. While poets from the lowlands have been very successful with The Face of the Homeland, Talking to the Hien Luong River (Te Hanh), Waves Beating at Cua Tung (Luu Trong Lu), Ben Tre Letter (To Huu)... Tay ethnic poetry (as well as Muong, Dao, Thai...) has not really left a strong impression: I intended to ask for leave/ To visit my hometown, to visit my family/ But hearing the news that the French invaders/ Are attacking our South again/ At midnight I left again/ The ship was full of comrades/ The country was in danger again/ The marching route did not stop ( Nguoi Tan Trao - Nong Quoc Chan). Tay ethnic poets have much favor for the "event" of the twinning between Viet Bac - Tay Nguyen: Nong Quoc Chan has Viet Bac - Tay Nguyen, To the Krong-no guerrilla , Nong Minh Chau has Ket tong ngay nay , Trieu An has Gui Tay Nguyen ... however, the verses are still symbolic: We know the Southwest/

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