Poetry resonates in the realm of love.

Nhat Chieu writes literary research. Nhat Chieu teaches literature. Nhat Chieu reads literature. Whether writing, lecturing, or reading, Nhat Chieu always seems to be writing... poetry.

For him, every moment of life is a poetic moment, without distinction or boundaries. Even though the poem "Lonely Border" is among the best in his collection "A Thousand Rituals of Love" (Phanbook and Women's Publishing House, 2026), he still yearns to engage in dialogue with it even within that lonely borderland.

The poem "Lonely Border" was perhaps written by the poet inspired by reading Dino Buzzati's novel "Tartar Desert" (translated by Huong Chau). But it might not be the case. The collection "A Thousand Rituals of Love" contains many poems with a similar intertextual feel to "Lonely Border."

The poetry in the collection "A Thousand Rituals of Love" is like that. In its brevity and simplicity, as if it only wants to "spread inward," the roots of the poem constantly sink deep into the earth while its tendrils always reach upwards, spreading out to touch other horizons, other worlds .

This world is interconnected with three thousand other worlds. One world that has encompassed three thousand worlds. As the title of one of his studies on classical Japanese poetry suggests: Three Thousand Fragrant Worlds.

Nhat Chieu's poetry is a continuous, expansive dialogue. He dialogues with all things. He dialogues with literature, with other authors, a dialogue of silent communion. There is no distinction between languages. There is no estimation of geographical distance.

In *A Thousand Rituals of Love*, we find poems that engage in dialogue and interaction with Kafka, Jon Fosse, Annie Ernaux, Han Kang, and others...

In Nhat Chieu's poetry, there is not just an author, but also a reader. A reader who cherishes, appreciates, and enjoys what they read. Always able to discover new things in the eternal world out there.

Books bring life back to life amidst decay: "Books are a forest, whispering secret words to us, the wind blowing from mountain to mountain, the breath of the past arriving this morning."

Therefore, his poetry is pure and clear amidst contemplation and profound reflection. He understands life but remains curious about it. Because he understands life, he is saddened by it; because he is saddened by life, he loves it even more intensely. It's as if everything is still urging us to rejoice, to engage in dialogue. Even if it's just a spiritual dialogue.

The poems in *A Thousand Rituals of Love* are short, fitting comfortably in the palm of your hand. Some poems combine rhyming couplets, seven-syllable verses, and six-syllable verses, which the poet calls "three-syllable" poetry.

Three forms within one. Three forms within a poem. And so, the spirit of embracing the world within the limited embrace of humanity is the consistent spirit in the works of poet Nhat Chieu. That spirit determines his writing style, that spirit guides his verses.

Reading Nhat Chieu's poetry, one doesn't get the feeling that he didn't painstakingly choose his words and rhymes. His poetry is born naturally, as light as a breath. He uses traditional Eastern poetic forms, but there's no sense of cliché. He dissolves them to recreate his own poetic world.

Who will answer my name when I call out to them? The poetic voice of poet Nhật Chiêu resonates throughout the "thousand rituals of love" encapsulated in this book of over a hundred pages.

The voice of poetry calling to me will continue to echo even after I close the book. For that poetry, in turn, has escaped the author's embrace to enter the realm of life - the realm of love.

HUYNH TRONG KHANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tieng-tho-vang-vong-coi-tinh-20260202094304462.htm