Her lyrical poems such as "Waves", "Boat and Sea", "Love Poems of Late Autumn"... still live forever, holding a special place in the hearts of poetry lovers.
Particularly, “Boat and Sea” and “Love Poem of the End of Autumn” were composed by musician Phan Huynh Dieu, successfully performed by many singers and became songs that have stood the test of time. She was posthumously awarded the State Prize for Literature and Arts in 2001 and the Ho Chi Minh Prize for Literature and Arts in 2017.
During her lifetime, in addition to writing for adults, she also wrote 7 works (both poetry and prose) for children, including "The Sky in the Egg" which is her most outstanding collection of poems, one of two works that served as the basis for her posthumous award of the Ho Chi Minh Prize for Literature and Arts 8 years ago.
It is not too much to say that “The sky in the egg” is a strange association, similar to the later saying “ The world in the palm of the hand”, which sounds absurd but is very reasonable in poetry and is a story, a confession that is very close, simple but profound, written on the foundation of love for children. In other words: It is love, maternal love and its spread that creates the irreplaceable strength in Xuan Quynh’s poetry.
First of all, the images in her poems are strangely beautiful, vivid, and clear: “Spring gives flocks of birds/ A thousand voices singing as clear as water/ Grass that has just fallen asleep the night before/ Eyes shining brightly in the green” (“What’s left for spring?”), “The sound of chickens at noon/ Brings so much happiness/ At night I dream/ A sleep the color of eggs” (“The sound of chickens at noon”).
After that, her poems are good in the way of speaking and thinking: "Daytime is made of sunlight/ Green is made of trees/ Chili is made of spicy.../ Children are made of love/ Of father and mother/ Of grandfather and grandmother..." ("Interpretation"). In "Interpretation" there are 4 lines: "Rivers need to be immense/ The sea has existed since then/ When children learn to walk/ Roads have existed since that day" rich in philosophy and imagery, expressing the relationship between the great and the origin.
"The river needs to reach the vastness/ The sea has existed since then" : Suggests that the river must have a vast desire to reach the sea. This is like an inevitable journey from small to vast. The sea has existed since time immemorial, as an eternal destination, a symbol of completeness.
"When children learn to walk/ The road has existed since that day" : A simple but profound association. The road not only existed before, but was born from the first steps of a person. The personal journey creates a path full of humanity. The poem talks about the beginning and the journey of growth of things and people, with simple images imbued with the philosophy of life.
The two lines alone: "The good that is given away/ Is even more good" ("Mi's Goodness") evoke a profound philosophy about altruism and the value of kindness. "Goodness" is already a precious quality, but when it is "given away" - that is, shared, offered to others, its value increases, multiplies, and becomes "even more good". The verse is like a message that: Kindness and goodness are only truly complete when they know how to give away, and morality does not lie in keeping it private, but in the act of sharing.
The poem “I love you, Mom” shows that Xuan Quynh understands children’s psychology and behavior very well. After comparing the love for mother with the sky, with Hanoi , with school and when realizing that those things are too vast and somewhat distant, suddenly, the child bursts out with an interesting feeling that only exists in childhood. The poem discovers the unusual in the normality of life when the child innocently says: “Ah, Mom, there is a cricket/ Always in my matchbox/ When I open it, I see it right away/ I love you as much as a cricket” .
This is also the surprising ending of "I love you, Mom".
Xuan Quynh’s poetry does not imitate or imitate children. In her poetry, she often “transforms”, speaks the language of children, and accompanies children in the most sincere and honest way. That is why her poetry has a strong vitality in the hearts of children.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/bau-troi-trong-qua-trung-704115.html
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