A boundless love in "Phan Thiet Night"

"Phan Thiet Night," a poem by teacher and poet Nguyen Van Minh, was presented to readers of Binh Thuan newspaper on September 15, 2023.

Teacher Nguyen Van Minh is from Binh Dinh province, but he has been closely associated with Binh Thuan since graduating from teacher training college until his retirement. He taught literature to countless students at Phan Boi Chau High School in Phan Thiet throughout his career. Binh Thuan has become his second home. After retiring, he moved to Ho Chi Minh City. However, the peaceful land of Phan Thiet holds many cherished memories for the author. He once wrote the poem, "Phan Thiet on the Day of Return," expressing his feelings for his friends and for Phan Thiet upon their reunion.

In "Phan Thiet Night," the teacher and poet Nguyen Van Minh once again expresses his feelings about the scenery, the land, and his dear friends in this beautiful, warm, and bountiful coastal region. For someone who has lived there for many years, the feelings about that place are familiar, yet it's difficult to have completely new emotions. Unlike the expression in "Phan Thiet on the Day of Return," the author's expression of feelings for the land and people of Phan Thiet in "Phan Thiet Night" is vibrant, if not overly enthusiastic!

Colleagues and literary friends of the teacher and poet Nguyen Van Minh often saw in him a calm and measured demeanor in his speech and behavior towards others. However, in "Phan Thiet Night," the lyrical subject truly wholeheartedly joins his friends: "Phan Thiet Night / Friends and I are intoxicated by the city and love." Not only that, when reuniting with his friends, his excitement reaches a climax: "Phan Thiet Night / Friends and I toast and greet / Echoes resound in the flower garden, up to the water tower / Even with clothes soaked in the night dew, we haven't given up the fun."

The poet's emotions likely stem first from the seaside town, with its river, waves, lights, and boats; from the lofty yet intimate and warm image of President Ho Chi Minh in the Historical Site; and from the flower gardens and water towers… Oh, how many scenes, images, and structures of this beloved city evoke such heartfelt feelings in him. The poem is filled with the pleasant atmosphere of Phan Thiet at night. Along with that are the warm feelings in the poet's heart, the memories within him. The image of the female guerrilla rowing a boat to ferry the Liberation Army across the river during the resistance war is recalled in the author's nostalgic lines: "The lingering echoes remain / The oars splashing on the river of yesteryear by the female guerrilla."

Perhaps, when emotion overflows, the author, who is also the lyrical subject of the poem, will reveal their truest and most passionate feelings through words, weaving verses? And those artistic words will easily evoke emotion in the reader's heart. The reader is swept away by the overflowing emotions in the poet's heart: "Phan Thiet at night. Oh, how wonderful!/ Love of the city - love of the river - love of you - love of friendship/ Memories overflowing, compressed over many years/ Rushing back and bursting under the fading moonlight!"

The poem "Phan Thiet Night" is the result of the 2018 Da Lat Creative Writing Camp attended by teacher and poet Nguyen Van Minh. However, with the reception of this poem, readers can sense a close connection to the development direction of Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan's night-time economy . This direction aligns with the upward trend of a tourist city, not only in the short term but also in the long term.

"Phan Thiet Night" is written in free verse, which gives the poet a sense of freedom in expressing his feelings, avoiding rigid constraints. The inversion of word order in the final stanza adds a unique touch, enhancing the poem's beauty. The word "love" is repeated several times, in both the first and last stanzas. Perhaps this signifies the poet's deep affection for the many cherished feelings he has received in this beloved city. A night in Phan Thiet, a truly wonderful night, surrounded by the people he has met and shared so much with.

The poem "Phan Thiet Night" truly allowed teacher and poet Nguyen Van Minh to express the many emotions he felt for his beautiful and prosperous hometown of Phan Thiet, for his friends, and for the loved ones who had accompanied him throughout the past months!

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