On May 21st, the Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association organized a program to launch three new works by poet Vu Thanh Hoa under the theme "The Other Woman Within Me".
These three poetry collections attract readers' attention primarily because of their titles: three syllables combined to form the author's name: Vu-Thanh-Hoa.
In her opening remarks, writer Trinh Bich Ngan, President of the Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association, commented that it could be said that this was a rather unique creative mark of poet Vu Thanh Hoa. Reading Vu Thanh Hoa's three works, readers can see the meticulousness and consistency in the author's creative thinking.
“This trilogy of poems is like a diary of the soul, arranged in a linear sequence of time and emotion. Readers not only enjoy individual poems, but also feel as if they are turning the pages of a 'biography in verse' full of ups and downs,” writer Trinh Bich Ngan stated.
Writer Trinh Bich Ngan further shared that, after reading the entire trilogy of poems, one finds a more passionate and poignant tone compared to her previous works. Vu Thanh Hoa's poetry does not shy away from suffering. She dares to look directly at the hidden corners of the soul, the brokenness, the "stolen dreams" in the heart of the modern city. The strength and brutal exposure of emotions create a captivating and edgy appeal. But after all the ups and downs, what remains in the end is the gentle self of a woman full of love.
According to writer Phan Dinh Minh, the three poetry collections Vu-Thanh-Hoa represent a long creative journey for the poet. "Vu" is 54 shimmering fragments of a mirror, reflecting more bitter sadness than joy. "I think if we call 'Vu' anecdotes about the woman 'Wind,' from existential loneliness, from losing herself to rediscovering herself to find her own poetic identity, then I believe 'Thanh' and 'Hoa' will be the paths that bear fruit," shared writer Phan Dinh Minh.
Regarding Thanh's poetry collection, Associate Professor, Doctor, and Distinguished Teacher Ngo Minh Oanh, Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Historical Science Association, feels that the collection still retains a lingering, poignant echo of sadness, but that sadness has subsided, been "distilled" to offer a calmer, brighter perspective, a greater belief in love, and a yearning for a better life. It's the same old things, the same old people, but now they are different: The cruelty of time / The indifference of space / Negation of longing / Counter-argument of sadness / You still have a different version in me / Fading away / Giving birth to another man" (Negative).
After stormy days, the poet seems to have calmed down : “The wind whispers of fairy tales/Tears roll down the face of the statue/The stars fade away/Darkness creeps through and replicates all memories/I watch the smoke drifting and sing/Calmly forget” (Calmly).
Associate Professor, Dr. Ngo Minh Oanh also recognized another theme flowing through Thanh's collection. Besides the main emotional themes of love, longing, foolishness, disappointment, brokenness, loneliness, and widowhood, Thanh's collection is the only one containing poems about social issues. Poems like "What's Your Name?", "Morning in the Seaside City," and "Crazy Flying" are examples of such poems. Through these poems, Vu Thanh Hoa looked beyond the confines of love, feeling and thinking like a citizen facing a social reality.
The poetry collection "Flowers"—the final part of the trilogy—is perhaps the softest and most feminine, yet it most clearly reveals a distinct poetic style that is beginning to take shape for Vu Thanh Hoa.
Poet Nguyen Hung believes that reading Hoa's work, it's easy to recognize that it's not the kind of storytelling or direct expression often seen in early poets. Vu Thanh Hoa chooses to delve into emotions through fragmented images, seemingly illogical associations that are nevertheless linked by an inner emotional current. Her poetry is less about "telling" and more about "suggesting"; she rarely attempts to create grand themes, but rather focuses on creating atmosphere through language and poetic imagery. Some poems are almost just a fragile field of sensation, flickering between reality and dreams: "the moon loses its way / a cluster of bubbles clinging to white clouds / the horizon spreads golden threads..." (The Season of Forgotten Sleep).
Sharing his thoughts on poet Vu Thanh Hoa's three new works, poet Le Thieu Nhon said that the three poetry collections, "Vu," "Thanh," and "Hoa," are linked together to form a portrait of a woman who has gone through a love affair but cannot escape the haunting memories. The more steadfast and faithful she is, the more painful the lingering echoes of the love affair become.
The three poetry collections, "Vu," "Thanh," and "Hoa," are not easy to read in one sitting. Each collection has its own reason for independent existence, yet they all lie within the common resonance of the "Vu Thanh Hoa" harmony. "After these three collections, I believe poet Vu Thanh Hoa will continue on the path of affirming her poetic style, as she wrote: 'I pour all my sadness and joy into the smoke / I position myself on the map of the night,'" said poet Le Thieu Nhon.
Source: https://nhandan.vn/nguoi-dan-ba-khac-trong-tho-vu-thanh-hoa-post963825.html
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