"Green Dot" is the third poetry collection by poet Doan Trong Hai. He is a literature teacher and a member of the Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association. Previously, Doan Trong Hai published the poetry collections: "Land of Love" (Literature and Arts Publishing House, 2006); and "Beauty and Immortality" (Vietnam Writers Association Publishing House, 2013).
"Green Dot" emerged as a new milestone, both continuing the author's familiar, emotionally rich and humanistic poetic style, and opening up a more refined, tranquil emotional space—a spiritual "anchor" amidst the turbulent urban life.
The title "Green Dot" suggests multiple layers of meaning. It could be a small dot of green, a remnant of nature amidst the concrete and smog. It could also be the "green dot" of the soul – the pure, kind part that people strive to preserve amidst life's hardships.
For Doan Trong Hai, poetry is not about creating a strong visual impression, but about preserving the "small bright spots" of humanity: a glance, a memory, a moment of silence before time. In many of his poems, the color green appears persistently and silently: the green of leaves, of the sea, of memories, of things that cannot be named. Therefore, "Green Dot" possesses a tranquil beauty, rich in its haunting power.
Nature in Doan Trong Hai's poetry is not majestic in an epic way, nor is it idealized into a distant symbol, but rather takes on a familiar, everyday appearance: a cup of tea on a spring day, a dewdrop on a leaf, a white landscape, a wave, a green space in the heart of the city. There, the country is perceived from the depth of its culture and lived memories, from concrete spaces like the sea, streams, forests, and villages, to spiritual realms where people seek self-healing and self-discovery.
Nature becomes a repository of life's principles, a place where people learn to listen, be patient, and be tolerant; while the country emerges not through grand pronouncements, but through a quiet, enduring love that permeates every image, every rhythm of poetry – like a small but indispensable "green dot" on the map of the Vietnamese soul today.
The love expressed by Doan Trong Hai in "Green Dot" is not boisterous or melodramatic, but profound and thoughtful. It's not just romantic love in the conventional sense, but a love that has weathered experience, refined by time, loss, loneliness, and the harsh realities of modern life. In many of his poems, love appears as a necessary moment of quiet reflection, a fragile yet enduring refuge amidst the world 's turmoil.
Doan Trong Hai writes about love in a low, concise voice, yet with a lingering resonance; images such as "a void," "white land," "dewdrop," "blue dot"... evoke both intimate emotions and symbolic nuances of the fragility of happiness and the desire to preserve it.
“Green Dot” demonstrates the maturity of Doan Trong Hai's writing style. The poetic language is meticulously refined, with short lines, restrained imagery, and a avoidance of ostentatious display of technique. But behind this simplicity lies a tightly structured poetic thought, where each image carries symbolic meaning and a wide range of associations. The slow, even rhythm, with its many gaps – intentional “silences” – allows the reader to read not only visually but also thoughtfully. This type of poetry demands that the reader pause, listen to themselves, and from there find their own “green dot” in their mind.
This collection of poems doesn't seek to answer big questions, but rather suggests to readers how to slow down, live more kindly, and appreciate the small but enduring things.
With "Green Dot," Doan Trong Hai continues to affirm his position as a contemplative and enduring poet, contributing to enriching the landscape of Ho Chi Minh City poetry in a humanistic, contemplative, and emotionally charged direction. A small "Green Dot" amidst the vastness of life, enough to convince readers that: amidst the noise and change, poetry still has the ability to keep the green color in the human soul…
Source: https://nhandan.vn/cham-xanh-trong-tho-doan-trong-hai-post940346.html
Comment (0)