In his essay "Spring Signals Us," written more than 40 years ago, the poet begins with a gentle, subtle, poetic yet intellectual tone: "Throughout the country, spring returns, Tet (Lunar New Year) arrives. We are engrossed in countless tasks, perhaps only realizing it when it is imminent, but the plants and the earth have been waiting for it for a long time. The trees in front of President Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum have long since shed their leaves from the past year, silently waiting for spring to come. Silently within their branches, the sap has long since transformed into flowers in time to offer to Him."
His writing and thinking remain uncompromising. He thinks broadly, then deeply, examining issues from all angles. His expression and pronouncements often create a unique and striking impression, often original. Without diligently delving into thought and contemplation, and without a writing style that is both erudite, intelligent, talented, and poetic, it would be impossible to create the distinctive style of Chế Lan Viên.
The following passage is also quite typical of his way of thinking and writing: "Now, like an unstoppable force, spring rushes into every alley, every house, every heart, whether closed or open, waiting for it or not waiting for it. Who can resist spring? Whether it's just a nameless flower on the peak of Lung Cu in the far north, or a wild grass at the southernmost tip of Ca Mau, it's all full of signs of spring... everywhere spring is present. Invisible yet ever-present. Because spring? Tet? For us, it's nothing other than this great emotion: the unity, the sacred empathy of the entire nation in the concept of the New Year, all Vietnam is one..."
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| Students from Le Quy Don Specialized High School, Nam Dong Ha Ward, Quang Tri Province, participated in the literary tour "Exploring the Poet Che Lan Vien - From Home to Soul" organized by Amazing English Tour - Photo: provided by the school. |
Very poetic, very lyrical, very imaginative, yet very political . Reading it again today, I still find the essays imbued with the warmth of current events. The sentiment of spring and of the heart following every aspect of the sacred nation's well-being. Even when rejoicing at the country's fortunes, there is still a heavy heart filled with anxiety. This is precisely the admirable quality of an intellectual. Some things are not new; many have thought and felt them, but through the poet's pen, we see a glimmer of new springtime, as in the poem "Awareness Before the Flowering Season": "I am passionately in love with beauty, but when beauty is too beautiful, too abundant, it seems my heart hesitates, wavers! Do I forget myself, forget the heavy burden of work each of us still carries? Flowers are too beautiful, too abundant, giving me the feeling of a happiness that has come a little too soon for me?"
That is a very high level of awareness, a sense of self-awareness among citizens, intellectuals, and artists regarding the destiny of the country, the joys and sorrows of the people—an awareness intrinsically linked to the personal responsibility of each individual.
Also in the essay "Consciousness Before the Flower Season," while discussing flowers, the author suddenly had some unexpected associations with a fellow countryman - General Secretary Le Duan: "Bread and roses." I remember a famous slogan. I also remember the words of Comrade Le Duan: "...People need to watch plays, to see flowers. And watching plays and seeing flowers makes human feelings purer. Perhaps one day Vietnamese people will no longer hate each other?" He added: "How can we ensure that tomorrow Vietnamese people become new, cultured people, not only the most resilient fighters, but also the most cultured people? What is happiness? Happiness is the satisfaction of all spiritual and material needs. That is the goal of communism." Those words made me think..."
So, there are things that are truly great, lofty ideals that seem far-fetched, but if viewed in a truly materialistic, dialectical, and everyday way, they are very concrete and practical, like truth. And truth is often simple, as expressed by an outstanding revolutionary through the empathy of a great poet. Great minds and hearts have met. Nearly half a century has passed since the passing of the great poet Chế Lan Viên, yet many of his thoughts and writings remain relevant, becoming companions in thought and feeling for many people in today's life.
Pham Xuan Dung
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/van-hoa/202603/dac-sac-tuy-but-che-lan-vien-dd758db/
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