Poet Dang Huy Giang believes that nowadays, publishing poetry in newspapers or books is easy, causing everyone to rush into writing poetry.
The author spoke at the panel discussion "From Character to Poet's Identity ," part of Vietnam Poetry Day, on the morning of February 24th in Hanoi .
Poet Dang Huy Giang compares the publishing of poetry in the past and present. According to him, there was a time when it was very difficult to get poetry published in newspapers; only the Literature and Arts Newspaper, Literature and Arts Magazine, and Works Magazine published poetry nationwide. Non-literary newspapers only published one poem a week (usually on Sundays). Getting a collection of two or more poems published in these newspapers and magazines was very difficult. And the number of people whose poems were published in collections was also small. Anyone whose poems were published in a collection of five or seven at once was considered famous.
Old literary publishers typically released around 20 books a year. It wasn't easy for an author to publish their poetry alone; they often had to collaborate with others. For young poets at that time, having one or two poems included in anthologies was considered a stroke of luck.
He observed that it was a time when literature was sacred, held a prominent position, was loved by many, and had a large readership. Regarding the current situation, Dang Huy Giang said: "Publishing poetry is too easy. Anyone can publish a collection of poems in newspapers and magazines. Anyone can publish a book. During his lifetime, the poet Quang Huy once said: 'There is one thing that should be opposed most, but it is not opposed. That is opposing poor artistic quality.' And self-publishing poetry via Facebook is much easier and more free. Everyone can write and publish poetry."
Poet Dang Huy Giang. Photo: Vietnam Writers Association
Due to the proliferation of works, even writers are not reading each other's work. Dang Huy Giang believes this is an alarming sign. Furthermore, the ease with which poetry is published also poses a challenge for writers. "Remember: A writer's skill is only truly appreciated if they are genuinely talented," he said.
Dang Huy Giang, 69 years old, is from Hanoi. He joined the army and fought in the Southern battlefield from 1973. After leaving the army, he worked in journalism, focusing on culture and arts. Besides writing poetry, he also writes literary criticism. He is a member of the Poetry Council of the Vietnam Writers Association, 8th term. He has won many awards, including the A Prize in the 1998-2000 poetry competition of the weekly magazine Van Nghe . Dang Huy Giang has published several poetry collections such as " Two Hands," "On the Earth," "Through the Door," "Life," and "Order Without Order."
Poet Nguyen Binh Phuong (right) presides over the panel discussion "From courage to the identity of a poet".
The speakers at the panel discussion analyzed the styles and artistic viewpoints of many prominent figures in Vietnamese poetry, demonstrating the strength of character of poets. Dang Huy Giang admired Tran Dan for his unwavering pursuit of his artistic views, way of thinking, and writing style. Che Lan Vien demonstrated his strength of character by "digging deep and intensely" into a real phenomenon in the poetry world. He criticized poets who dared not be themselves, who had lost their pen. Che Lan Vien wrote:
"Poets born in the year of the Tiger"
I once again thought of myself as a cat.
I licked the fish off the plate.
And it even meowed!
Literary critic Pham Xuan Nguyen spoke about Luu Quang Vu's poetic voice in the 1970s. According to Mr. Nguyen, towards the end of the war against the US, Luu Quang Vu's poetry became sharper, more painful, agonizing, and filled with reflections on the fate of the people and the destiny of the country. His tragic inspiration about the country and its people was expressed in works such as "The Country of the Zither," "Vietnam, Oh!", "The Person with Me," "Wind and Love Blowing Across My Country," "Red River," "1954," "Kham Thien," and "Summer Dossier 1972. "
According to poet Nguyen Quang Hung, individuality helps each writer define their own path and personality, distinguishing them from others. He cites the example of poet Nguyen Quang Thieu, whose work, "The House at 17 ," was criticized for being difficult for readers to understand and detached from Vietnamese language and culture when published in 1990. However, he later became deeply rooted in village culture and knew how to differentiate his writing, making the imagery from it fascinating and mysterious.
Ha Thu
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