Young poets today have an advantage over their predecessors in that they can disseminate their works widely thanks to the explosion of social media. Poets such as Nguyen Phong Viet, Nguyen Thien Ngan, Nguyen The Hoang Linh, etc., often post their poems on social media, interacting with a large audience. Forming a community of fans ensures that traditional printed poetry collections sell well.

Scenes from the book launch of young poet Nguyen Thien Ngan. Photo: MAI ANH

From a means of promoting poetry, social media has become an environment where young poets compete to appear, aiming for so-called fame. This is negative because it contradicts the essence of poetry. True poets, from ancient times to the present, have never written poetry for fame or fortune, but rather to reveal their spiritual lives, expressing their worldview and philosophy of life through refined language.

Driven by a desire for quick fame, many young writers have turned poetry into a form of digital content creation, such as: "There are people I love / But I can't be near them / There are people who love me / But I can't reciprocate." These types of verses, while impactful in meaning and with a strong direct effect, are often used by netizens for highly engaging content. However, in reality, they resemble rhymes more than poetry, lacking both depth of content and artistic form.

This type of "industrialized" poetry can garner thousands of views, likes, and shares in a short time. However, behind that glamorous facade lies a harsh reality: contemporary young poets rise to fame quickly, but also fade just as quickly. This is because praise on social media is superficial, and the large number of interactions doesn't guarantee the poem will stick in the public's memory.

The weakness of contemporary young poets lies in the lack of groundbreaking works, reflected in the absence of a distinct style. Looking back at the history of Vietnamese poetry, from the New Poetry movement, the anti-American war poetry, to the poetry of the early period of reform, numerous young poets with outstanding talent and character emerged. From their very appearance, they were distinct from one another; when reading their poems, it was easy to recognize the poetry of Xuan Dieu and Han Mac Tu; later, the poetry of Le Anh Xuan was very different from that of Pham Tien Duat; and more recently, the poetry of Nguyen Quang Thieu was different from that of Hoang Nhuan Cam...

When a young poet is around, it's impossible to be certain how far they will go, but looking at their published works, it's difficult to see any writer destined for a lifetime of poetic fame. Poetry, like many other art forms, requires a gifted talent—a sensitive soul, the ability to perceive and use language; but it also needs a strong cultural foundation, depth of thought, and profound philosophy. Contemporary young poetry is truly a noisy chorus, but it's difficult to discern any outstanding individuality. The general landscape of young poetry is overly focused on personal feelings, using superficiality instead of genuine talent. The pursuit of creativity often leads to dead ends, and sometimes the light of truth, goodness, and beauty is absent from their works.

In poetry, each writer has their own path; no one can teach how to write poetry. But clearly, poets shouldn't try to find a position like an entertainment star; a poem isn't a cultural industry product whose value can be measured by profit. Young poets should perhaps calm down, quiet their hearts, and not chase after modern trends. Poetry, ultimately, is the voice of the soul; every line, every word written must truly come from one's innermost thoughts, spoken in one's own voice, not to please vulgar tastes.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/tho-tre-thoi-nay-de-noi-nhanh-chim-1028791