There are still many challenges to the character of a poet.

It's easy to lose yourself.

The issue of a poet's individuality and creative personality has been frequently discussed as poets, critics, readers, and even the press seek and hope to discover fresh, distinctive, and unique poetic voices. However, it is not easy to filter out such individuals and voices, nor to clearly identify their individuality and personality within today's diverse and complex poetic landscape.

Sharing his thoughts at the seminar, poet Dang Huy Giang stated: For a writer, true character is self-confidence and absolute self-mastery in all conditions and circumstances. Besides that, not following others or being like others is also a requirement, and also absolute. It is thanks to true character that difference and uniqueness are formed and established. However, there was a time when many poets abandoned their strengths and pursued their weaknesses. Those who were excellent at writing love poems turned to writing production and war poems...to suit the times. Then, these production and war poems went nowhere and became inadequate. From there, they lost themselves and naturally became writers lacking true character.

With the development of modern society, publishing poetry is too easy. Anyone can publish a collection of poems in newspapers and magazines. Anyone can publish a book. And self-publishing poetry via Facebook is even easier and more free. Everyone is writing and publishing poetry. Therefore, such ease of publishing poetry is also a test of character for writers, especially for those who lack talent and have a degree of self-delusion. In this case, overconfidence and self-reliance become excessive and immediately counterproductive.

Discussion space

"A writer's skill is only truly appreciated if that writer is genuinely talented," poet Dang Huy emphasized.

Sharing this view, poet Nguyen Quang Hung, based on his experience in writing and criticizing poetry over the years, has witnessed many cases of poets who suddenly rose to prominence. However, in the process of discovering a clearer identity, they gradually compromise with the initial state of infatuation, loftiness, and brilliance they had achieved. Similarly, their concern for innovation, self-transformation, and change gradually becomes secondary to the most important thing at this moment: maintaining their position, competing with others, winning awards and titles, leveraging the press, and promoting their own name... These things, inadvertently, cause the innocence, excitement, and sharp edges of poetry to stagnate, become monotonous, and eventually become weary and familiar in new works.

The worrying aspect is that it creates a vicious cycle for the individual writer, for the group of writers working together, or for the movement. In that case, it is not from the outside, but the poet himself who becomes the most direct and dangerous threat to his talent and personality.

Therefore, poet Nguyen Quang Hung believes that: "Character or individuality is not something that comes naturally, nor does it remain stable and solid forever once formed. It requires experience to cultivate character, and knowledge and creative fire, along with innovation, are indispensable in shaping and defining one's personality."

The seminar attracted a large number of participants.

We need the encouragement of our readers.

According to poet Nguyen Viet Chien: "A poet's character is not something easily acquired by a writer; it's a special quality that must be honed, refined, and tested over time. From a deeper perspective, a writer's character also depends on their life experience, their talent, and their creative artistic energy. Without these two elements, I think that character would hardly succeed on the difficult, arduous, and challenging path of true poetry."

According to poet Bui Tuyet Mai, creating a timeless masterpiece requires the author to possess many special qualities: intellect, emotion, psychology, personality, willpower, talent, and professional integrity to overcome all difficulties and challenges. Besides these factors, readers are also a crucial driving force that helps poets maintain their professional integrity.

"Poetry in particular, and literature in general – the result of the author's labor – continues to undergo rigorous experience, appreciation, and scrutiny from readers. In that sense, it can be said that the public's need for literary and artistic appreciation in their spiritual lives has a significant impact on the poet's creative life. At the same time, their personality, ethics, talent, and works, in the process of interacting with the public, have a profound influence, even shaping the style and aesthetics of an entire generation and shaping the thinking of an entire era."

However, in Vietnam today, the fact that the majority of literary readers lack thorough preparation and training is a major obstacle to the inheritance and development of literature. Observing many events in real life over the past long period, I have noticed that many individuals and organizations have not paid attention to the spiritual foundation of society, especially in the field of literature and art. They have not honored reading culture and guided readers towards genuine literary values," added poet Bui Tuyet Mai.

Exhibition space for works of poetry

Therefore, according to poet Bui Tuyet Mai, we need to have readers who love literature to continue the tradition of creative writing based on the rich and diverse cultural heritage of our nation. Because the public will be a source of encouragement for the movement of professional creation and performance with high artistic quality and modern aesthetics."

Source: https://toquoc.vn/con-nhieu-thach-thuc-trong-ban-linh-cua-nguoi-lam-tho-20240224140351512.htm