Nguyen Tien Thanh - 'an original poet'

Carrying within himself the 'originality' of poetry, choosing a path between classical and innovative, poet Nguyen Tien Thanh has extended the poetic vein, making youthful memories a part of his philosophy of life.

Poet Nguyen Tien Thanh speaks at the seminar

These are the observations from many poets and researchers presented at the seminar Nguyen Tien Thanh's Poetry in the Movement of Contemporary Vietnamese Poetry, recently organized by the Vietnam Writers Association in coordination with the Institute of Literature in Hanoi .

'Be honest with the most fragile things'

According to poet Nguyen Quang Thieu (Chairman of the Vietnam Writers Association ), Nguyen Tien Thanh is not "a phenomenon" in contemporary Vietnamese poetry. But it is precisely the seemingly ordinary things about this poet that raise many interesting issues in today's poetry.

"Nguyen Tien Thanh is a love, a commitment, a journey, an irresistible and very strange passion. When reading his poetry, I feel he is an original. His works preserve the original identities of poetry - things that we sometimes fear we will lose" - Mr. Thieu shared.

He continued: "The same goes for Nguyen Tien Thanh! He possesses the original qualities of a poet: wandering, infatuation, panic, uncertainty... But from these seemingly common things in a poet like that, Nguyen Tien Thanh creates a unique voice in this era."

From the case of Nguyen Tien Thanh, poet Nguyen Quang Thieu poses a broader reflection on contemporary poetry: when concepts such as "innovation", "breakthrough" or "reform" are being talked about a lot, retaining the original values ​​of poetry and of the poet is the most difficult and precious thing - amidst the many complexities, challenges and confusion of poetic life.

Poet Nguyen Quang Thieu speaks at the seminar

"In fact, in today's life, the presence of romantic poets is increasingly absent. Poets now calculate more, plan more... And that is what makes them lose the randomness and purity of poetry" - he emphasized - "In this context, I want to call Nguyen Tien Thanh an original poet. That means he still retains the original qualities of poetry and the way of life of a poet".

Critic Hoai Nam believes that Nguyen Tien Thanh's poetry is a phenomenon of contemporary Vietnamese poetry - but it is "a normal phenomenon", not a "sudden" or "flash" phenomenon.

"Nguyen Tien Thanh's poetry is in the middle of the movement of contemporary Vietnamese poetry - between classical, traditional and innovative, modern" - Mr. Nam analyzed - "Nguyen Tien Thanh's poetry is not old but not new either. He does not seek innovation, does not seek difference; he seeks himself. But that 'himself' is very suitable for the aesthetic needs, reception habits and touches the hearts of many poetry-loving readers".

On the other hand, looking back at Nguyen Tien Thanh's poetic journey, critic Hoai Nam cited: Nguyen Tien Thanh started his poetry career from the student poetry movement at Hanoi universities in the late 1980s, with the sublimation of poetry and the ecstatic emotions that exploded every time the dormitory poetry nights began. In those years, the youth loved poetry, were so infatuated with poetry that they forgot the hunger that was constantly scratching their stomachs.

Many of Nguyen Tien Thanh’s poems written during this period are still known by heart. And their spirit – passionate, romantic and wildly unconventional – over the span of several decades, seems to still radiate a retrospective glow to this day.

Published poetry collections of poet Nguyen Tien Thanh

Nguyen Tien Thanh himself confided: "I don't know where my poetry lies in the contemporary poetry process, because honestly, I have never had time to follow any process."

"I only write when something in my heart wants to burst out, as a way to keep a little intact within myself. Maybe it's nowhere - just small fragments of voices, falling from life, from memories, from the silent areas we often pass by. I have never tried to be modern, nor have I tried to be classical. I just try to be honest - honest with the most fragile things" - the poet continued.

Continuing the generation of 'school youth' poetry

From another perspective, Dr. Ha Thanh Van believes that Nguyen Tien Thanh's poetry is a continuation of the "school youth" poetry generation. Accordingly, in the process of Vietnamese poetry after Doi Moi, besides strong innovations in poetics and discourse, there still exists a persistent lyrical source - where student emotions, first love and youthful memories become the main materials. This system has created a generation of poets with their own mark such as Hoang Nhuan Cam, Tran Hoa Binh , Truong Nam Huong, Do Trung Quan...

"In this poetic vein, Nguyen Tien Thanh is a special case. Coming from the student poetry movement of the late 1980s, he has kept the spirit of "school youth" but not stopping at youth, but has transformed it into a vivid memory, a philosophical mindset of an experienced person" - Dr. Van said.

Dr. Ha Thanh Van speaks at the seminar

This researcher pointed out: when placing Nguyen Tien Thanh's poetry in relation to typical authors of the "school youth" system, it can be seen that there exists a common emotional vein between them, but the way of expression and depth are clearly different.

"If Hoang Nhuan Cam, Do Trung Quan or Truong Nam Huong... are attached to the school space, dormitories, schoolyards, exam seasons and red phoenix flowers - where youth is expressed through dreamy, innocent, sometimes passionate and impulsive memories - then Nguyen Tien Thanh expands the range of that emotion beyond the school campus to enter adult life" - Dr. Van analyzed - "In him, youthful memories no longer stop at first love, but become contemplative material, where people look back on the past as part of the journey of life".

"Therefore, it can be said that Nguyen Tien Thanh is the bridge between "student poetry" and "mature poetry", between pure emotions and philosophical reflections. Thus, Nguyen Tien Thanh does not leave the "school youth" poetic system, but he transforms it into the "memory youth" system - where youth becomes a spiritual heritage. He has enriched the old system with new depth, turning the emotions of his twenties into the philosophy of life of his fifties" - Dr. Van emphasized.

As analyzed, this researcher affirmed: Nguyen Tien Thanh is one of the few poets who has extended the spirit of "school youth" with the maturity of life, making his poetry a bridge between two generations - the dreamy generation after 1986 and the middle-aged generation who are searching for themselves.

Some features of poet Nguyen Tien Thanh

He was born in 1968 in Vinh Phuc; a member of the Vietnam Writers Association. Graduated from Hanoi University of Science, he has many years of experience in journalism and is currently the General Director of the Vietnam Education Publishing House.

He has published 4 collections of poetry including: Afternoon without a name like a stain in the middle of life (2021), Loạn Bút Hành (2021), Viễn Ca (2024), Mật Dục Thiên Thu (2025) and 2 literary essays: Thời Của Tập Zị (2021), Poems that don't need to save anyone but save the writer (2025).

According to VNA

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/nguyen-tien-thanh-mot-thi-si-nguyen-ban-524408.html