Those who love his poetry would surely share my opinion: Nguyen Xuan Tu's poems retain their genuine, simple, and heartfelt essence. In his poems, love for his homeland, its people, and life itself are always intertwined. His verses evoke the scent of the countryside or a vast, expansive feeling; a fragrant flower blooms in a moment at night. In the rising morning sun, the flower silently releases its fragrance and displays its beauty. A kindred spirit visits, on the doorstep, enjoying tea, admiring the flowers, and the heart resonates with poetic verses...
The poetry collection "Faith, Love" is primarily composed of six-eight syllable and five-syllable verses. The six-eight syllable verses are gentle and simple. The five-syllable verses are concise, conveying both meaning and emotion. Like the earth and sky with their four seasons, the opening pages are filled with the colors of spring; the poet opens his heart to welcome spring, to the harmony of heaven and earth in this new moment: "I throw open the door / To welcome the new spring into the house" (Spring Knocks on the Door).
In Nguyen Xuan Tu's poetry, the happiness of spring is full of joy and a willingness to share with humanity. However, to achieve that happiness, one must endure many years of hardship: "Thank you to heaven and earth / For the many fragrant flowers and sweet fruits / Cherished for generations / Through ups and downs, bitterness and suffering" (Happy Spring).
Poetry is the man; poetry accompanies Nguyen Xuan Tu throughout his life. But his poetry is not ostentatious or flamboyant; sometimes it is hidden, subtle, and latent. Poetry transforms into the subconscious, then gives birth and liberation. His five-word verses, seemingly light, are actually full of emotion and creative imagery:
“ Poetry accompanies the years/Submerges into a human life/Poetry sinks only to rise again/Spring is coming, my dear” (Submerge).
Nguyen Xuan Tu has always been captivated by poetry. He finds happiness in the wonderful poetic inspiration that floods his dreams, as if he has found and preserved it. Even after waking, he feels as if he were dreaming. This is also a fortunate encounter through the poet's verses: “Last night I dreamt / I found wonderful and unusual poetic inspiration / Joyful with discovery / I woke up but still felt like I was dreaming” (Picking Poetry).
Through this poetry collection, Nguyen Xuan Tu clearly perceives life, recognizing the true and eternal values of existence. The poem that forms the main theme of the collection shows two things: Faith and Love. All are capitalized. Our ancestors were very right when they used the words faith and love. There can be love without faith; the opposite is true without faith. And achieving both is not easy. One must understand the truth of life: no one has everything, and no one loses everything. Understanding this will lighten the heart, freeing one from greed, anger, and delusion. One must reach a certain level to be able to truly believe and love. When one has enough, the heart is at peace, and life will be serene and free.
“ Heaven doesn’t give everything to everyone/ It doesn’t take everything away from everyone/ Spring arrives, the earth and sky are so beautiful/ I quiet my heart with Faith and Love” (Faith and Love).
A notable aspect of Nguyen Xuan Tu's poetry is the lyrical and profound verses he left behind in the lands he traveled through, reflecting a sensitive soul. These poems are concise, conveying poetic sentiment or a message about life. For example, regarding Da Lat, he wrote: "My soul is like awake, like dreaming / Whose shadow is fleetingly coming and going in the mist?"; Yet, regarding Yen Tu, the poet expresses his admiration and reverence for Emperor Tran Nhan Tong: "High mountains enveloped in mist / The virtues of Heart and Virtue shine brightly for eternity / Teaching the people to love the Way and love life / 'Peace for the people, governance for the nation' shines brightly and firmly."
Having been a soldier, when he went to Truong Sa, the poet was moved by the sound of the temple bells:
“ Harmonizing with the silent waves of the sea / The sound of the bell seems to convey a message, to stir up emotions / Spring rain brings peace to the islands / The distant islands feel closer, making the temple bells even more beloved” (Temple Bells in Truong Sa).
What is admirable is that in his poetry collections, Nguyen Xuan Tu always has beautiful poems about his homeland. He always loves his hometown, deeply attached to Quang Tri : "The people of my homeland are kind and tolerant / I love my homeland, I love it immensely / Even if I go to the ends of the earth / My love for my homeland will always remain passionate in me" (Visiting My Homeland).
Nguyen Xuan Tu's poetry is not only full of emotion but also contains many poems that are profound in meaning and brilliant in imagery. Drinking coffee with friends is commonplace, and poets have written many poems about coffee, but to create such a beautiful poem in just four lines is truly remarkable. Whether sweet or bitter, lively conversation or quiet silence, it's all a way of expressing the meaning of a cup of coffee:
“ Coffee is just an excuse/A place for heartfelt conversations/Bitter drops that life will always be sweet/Sitting together in silence for a few moments...” (Coffee with a Friend).
Trust and Love, like the whispered conversations of a poet, lead the reader to different lands and people, bridging distances and bringing joy and empathy. This is also the happiness of life, the happiness of poetry, when the author skillfully paints a self-portrait through poetry, with a mix of self-mockery and pride, content with what they have achieved in life.
“ No striving, living a carefree life / Photography - Poetry - Journalism make life brighter / Looking up, I'm not as good as others / Content with the life I've lived / Optimistic, emotions soaring / At seventy, I'm still like... springtime” (Six-line poem at seventy).
Congratulations to the poet on reaching such a rare age, yet still feeling like he's experiencing springtime and the happiness of life, with moments of transcendence that allow him to give the world beautiful verses.
Bui Phan Thao
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/nguoi-giu-duoc-tu-tho-trong-mo-193351.htm
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