văn hóa kinh bắc - vùng thẩm mỹ trong thơ hoàng cầm bản tóm tắt tiếng anh

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY



TRAN DUC HOAN


KINH BAC CULTURE – AESTHETIC AREA IN
HOANG CAM’S POETRY
Major: Vietnamese culture
Code: 62.22.01.21


SUMMARY OF PHD DISSERTATION IN LITERATURE







THAI NGUYEN - 2013

The work has been completed at:
Thai Nguyen University of Education – Thai Nguyen University



Scientific Supervisor: 1. Ass. Prof. Dr. Tran Thi Viet Trung
2. Ass. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Duy Bac

Opponent 1:

Opponent 2:

Opponent 3:


The dissertation will be defended at dissertation marking council at
student level at Thai Nguyen University of Education – Thai Nguyen
University
At: clock , day month year 2013



Find out more about the dissertation at Center for school
materials – Thai Nguyen University and the Library of Thai
Nguyen University of Education

LIST OF WORKS ANNOUNCED RESEARCH RESULT OF
THE DISSERTATION

1. Tran Duc Hoan, Tran Thi Viet Trung (2008), "Aesthetic signal in
Hoang Cam‟s poetry ", Writer Magazine, No. 8, Page 57.
2. Tran Duc Hoan (2008), "A type of symbol in Hoang Cam‟s
poetry", Vietnam Literature and Arts Forum Magazine, No. 12,
Page 43
3. Tran Duc Hoan, Nguyen Thu Huong (2009), "Kinh Bac festival
space in Hoang Cam‟s poetry ", Writer Magazine, No. 1, Page 31

4. Tran Duc Hoan (2009), "Cây Tam cúc và giấc mơ xe hồng",
Languages magazine, No. 6, Page 38.
5. Tran Duc Hoan (2009), "Image of Kinh Bac legend and historical
characters in Hoang Cam‟s poetry", Vietnam Literature and Arts
Forum Magazine, No. 7, Page 39.
6. Tran Duc Hoan (2010), "Love duet cultural space in Hoang
Cam‟s poetry", Writer Magazine, No. 2, Page 41.
7. Tran Duc Hoan (2011), "In term of a symbol in Hoang Cam‟s
poetry ", Languages magazine, No. 3, Page 47.
8. Tran Duc Hoan (2011), "Mother‟s image in Hoang Cam‟s poetry
", Vietnam Literature and Arts Forum Magazine, No. 5, Page 35.
9. Tran Duc Hoan, Nguyen Duc Hanh (2011), "Symbol of brassiere
and coat in Vietnam poetry and Hoang Cam‟s poetry", Writer
Magazine, No. 6, Page 105.
10. Tran Duc Hoan (2012), "Strange characteristics in art language
of Hoang Cam‟s poetry", Vietnam Literature and Arts Forum
Magazine, No. 10, Page 26.

1
PREPAFACE
1. Justification
Hoang Cam is one of typical poets of the poetry of modern
Vietnam. Accessing to Hoang Cam, we see profound effects of the
regional culture - one important element that makes decisive
contribution to creating poetic inspiration and art style of the poet.
Researching effects of the regional culture on Hoang Cam‟s
poetry will contribute to decoding his poetry, indicating particular
characteristics in Hoang Cam‟s poetry in the view of culture studies
and aesthetic regional cultural icon.
Researching the dissertation titled “Kinh Bac culture -

aesthetic region in Hoang Cam’s poetry” contributes to clarifying
the issue that aesthetic region has an important value in forming
poetic inspiration, poetic characteristics, thoughts and art style of the
poet. Thereby, the topic affirms that: Kinh Bac culture - aesthetic
region is an original aesthetic region for Hoang Cam to create his
own rich, diversified and richly characteristic poetic inspiration.
Hoang Cam‟s poetry has revived the cultural characteristics of Kinh
Bac region in the modern poetry life. Simultaneously, Hoang Cam‟s
poetry has contributed to interpreting, respecting and praising and
brightening the cultural values of one land area which has long-
standing cultural tradition, civilization. This is the important
contribution of Hoang Cam to the poetry of modern Vietnam, land
area and people, beloved country of the poet.
Choosing the above topic is aimed to discover highlights on
aesthetic cultural values in Hoang Cam‟s poetry from the frame of
cultural reference to confirm once again the efficiency and
contributions on many aspects of the poet in the great flow of the
poetry of modern Vietnam. This has a great meaning to researching,
teaching and studying Literature at high school, college, university
level, etc.

2
This is a topic which has both scientific, practical nature and
practical contributions to getting to know and interpreting Hoang
Cam‟s poetry.
2. Objectives of research
The purpose of this Dissertation is to research Hoang Cam‟s
poetry in the relationship with Kinh Bac cultural and aesthetic region in
view of cultural icons and systems of languages. Thereby, the author
hopes to suggest and provide some operative foundations to

understand Hoang Cam‟s poetry when accessing to the document of
words, discovering Kinh Bac cultural traditions furthermore,
contributing to researching, teaching and enjoying Hoang Cam‟s poetry
more thoroughly. Simultaneously, the author wants to affirm the original
creations, typical and largely respectful contributions of Hoang Cam in
Vietnamese poetry life.
3. Tasks of research
The Dissertation clarifies opinion about aesthetic region,
cultural region and Kinh Bac cultural region in relation to Hoang
Cam‟s poetry.
The Dissertation analyzes and proves national nature, typical
regional cultural characters crystallized in the art of Hoang Cam‟s poetry.
The Dissertation analyzes and interprets cultural icons and points
out typical characteristics of art language of Hoang Cam‟s poetry in
relation to Kinh Bac aesthetic cultural region.
4. Object, scope of research
Research objective of the dissertation is Hoang Cam‟s poetry
in its close relation to Kinh Bac cultural region – characteristic
aesthetic region of Hoang Cam‟s poetry.
Aesthetic cultural characters and characteristics of Kinh Bac
aesthetic culture in Hoang Cam‟s poetry are considered on basic
aspects such as system of icons and languages in his poetry.
Main references include Hoang Cam - Poetry works edited by
Lai Nguyen An (Writers' Association Publishing House, Ha Noi

3
2003). Hoang Cam‟s series of poems: “Thuan Thanh Rain”
(Cultural Publishing House, 1991); “Rhapsody Duong River”
(Cultural Publishing House, 1993); “Floral Leaf” (Cultural
Publishing House, 1993); “Back to Kinh Bac” (Cultural Publishing

House, 1994); “99 love songs” (Cultural Publishing House, 1996)
and series of poems “Indefectible ferment (Men đá vàng)”
(Cultural Publishing House, 1995); separate poems printed on
different newspapers, magazines and works of other categories such
as prose, versified play, etc.
Scope of research includes surveying and referring to some
typical poetry works about Kinh Bac in the national literature life; some
poets in the same generation with Hoang Cam (to compare the original,
distinct characters in Hoang Cam‟s poetry); books, newspapers and
materials about Kinh Bac regional cultural characteristics in particular
and regional cultural characteristics in general will be theoretical and
practical foundations for implementing the topic.
5. Overview about the issue (issue history)
5.1. Research orientations on Hoang Cam’s poetry art
Among modern Vietnamese poets, Hoang Cam is the one who
is highly assessed thanks to his art valued contributions to the
contemporary lyric poetry.
Researchers and critics such as Do Duc Hieu, Do Lai Thuy,
Nguyen Dang Diep, Chu Van Son, Phan Huy Dung, Dang Tien,
Nguyen Viet Chien, etc. have paid their special attention to the aspect
of tone in Hoang Cam‟s poetry; these tones are folk song and angry
tones. However, these researchers have just stopped at mentioning
the issues other than researching them furthermore, interpreting
specifically profound effects of Kinh Bac culture on poetic
inspiration and tone of Hoang Cam‟s poetry. Those findings are very
precise and accurate and they will be scientific foundations for the
dissertation to inherit and develop.

4
In respect of languages used in Hoang Cam‟s poetry, researchers

and critics such as Tran Manh Hao, Ngo Van Phu, Chu Van Son, Dang
Tien, Hoai Viet, etc. have their different, even contrast comments and
assessments. However, all of these researchers and critics point out
profound artistry values of Hoang Cam‟s poetry, especially
achievements on language aspect. That is clever combination between
traditional and modern characteristics, lyric characteristics and
scientific qualifications in languages of Hoang Cam‟s poetry. These
authors affirm that it is the language of new, young and queerly
attractive poem. Additionally, many critics and researchers such as Do
Duc Hieu, Do Lai Thuy, Le Dat, Phan Huy Dung, etc. highlight
surrealistic impressions in Hoang Cam‟s poetry.
Articles, researches and opinions mentioned above agree to indicate
that there are a virtual world, surrealistic poetry images, elements of sub-
conscience, non-conscience, spirit, etc. in Hoang Cam‟s poetry
5.2. Research orientations on effects of Kinh Bac culture on Hoang
Cam’s poetry
Some researchers such as Nguyen Dang Manh, Hoai Viet,
Nguyen Xuan Lac, Nguyen Dang Diep, Ngo Thao, Nguyen Viet
Chien, Nguyen Thi Minh Bac, etc. affirm that the inspirations in
Hoang Cam‟s poetry are all originated from Kinh Bac traditional
cultural region. The above authors have mentioned aesthetic region -
Kinh Bac in Hoang Cam‟s poetry but they have not analyzed or
clarified this aesthetic region. Thus, their researches have not
systematized, surveyed comprehensively as well as not generalized
this aesthetic region to be an issue of profound scientific
characteristics to contribute to decoding Hoang Cam‟s poetry and
pointing out characters, characteristics and original creations of this
talent Kinh Bac poet.
Ideas, comments and assessments made by the researchers and
critics suggest and open the way for us to continue researching and

clarifying the issue that Kinh Bac culture is the original aesthetic

5
region in Hoang Cam‟s poetry. That original and profound aesthetic
region has contributed significantly to creating poetic inspiration,
artistic thoughts and style of Hoang Cam. Kinh Bac was the special
aesthetic region for Hoang Cam to weave his poetic inspiration rich
in lyrical nature. Thereby, he created his own style and poetry
characters that cannot be mixed.
For the above reasons, choosing the topic “Kinh Bac culture -
aesthetic region in Hoang Cam’s poetry” is aimed to contribute
decoding scientifically and relatively thoroughly Hoang Cam‟ poetry
from the view of cultural studies, indicating clearly the relationship
between Hoang Cam‟ poetry and Kinh Bac aesthetic cultural region.
Thereby, the topic affirms that Kinh Bac culture is the original
aesthetic region in Hoang Cam’ poetry.
6. Methodology
The dissertation combines the inter-sector methodology of
Culture-Literature: By accessing literature from the view of culture
studies, we can interpret more completely the artistic work using the
system of culture codes contained in it. Cultural and aesthetic
elements relating to people, nature, geography, history, customs,
practices, language, etc. can be applied to interpret content and
formality aspects of the work. Simultaneously, this access method
can contribute to interpreting creating psychology, readers‟ tastes and
development path in general of culture.
Historical method: This method helps the author get to know
how related social circumstances and individuals have affected the
author‟s creating process. Simultaneously, this method contributes to
determining the position of that author in the national poetry process.

Systematical and analytical method: This method helps
surveying and getting to know repeated details and images. This has
an important meaning in determining original artistic icons in Hoang
Cam‟s poetry, thereby, analyzing, commenting, assessing,
systematizing and generalizing each represented issue.

6
Comparative method: This method is used to compare synchrony
and chronology based on historical views to see the acceptance and
inheritance in Hoang Cam‟s poetry.
Some methods of prosody studies are used to access to the system
of methods representing by artistic images of culture, based on aesthetic
opinion about the world of art to clarify the issue Kinh Bac culture -
aesthetic region in Hoang Cam’ poetry.
7. Contributions of the dissertation
The dissertation contributes to clarifying opinion about
aesthetic region, cultural region and relation between aesthetic
region, cultural region and cultural works. Thereby, the dissertation
helps see more clearly the relationship between aesthetic cultural
environment and cultural works.
The dissertation surveys, systematizes and analyzes system of
Kinh Bac cultural images in Hoang Cam‟s poetry. Moreover, the
dissertation indicates clearly some artistic language characteristics in
Hoang Cam‟s poetry in the relationship with Kinh Bac aesthetic
cultural region.
The dissertation affirms distinct characters in contents and new
original artistic creations in Hoang Cam‟s poetry from the view of
culture studies, contributing to getting accessed to his poetry.
The dissertation affirms important contributions of the poet in
the flow of the poetry of modern Vietnam and contributes partly to

understanding poems, cognizing, teaching and enjoying Hoang
Cam‟s poetry more profoundly.
8. Structure of the dissertation
Apart from Preface and Conclusion, this dissertation is divided
into three chapters:
Chapter 1: Some theoretical issues on aesthetic region,
cultural region and Kinh Bac cultural region.
Chapter 2: World of aesthetic icons in Hoang Cam’s poetry.
Chapter 3: Aesthetic region in Hoang Cam’s poetry from the
view of language.
The final part is References.

7
Chapter 1
SOME THEORETICAL ISSUES ON AESTHETIC REGION,
CULTURAL REGION AND KINH BAC CULTURAL REGION
1.1. Opinion about aesthetic region in cultural works
In artistic works, of which, cultural ones, authors often have a
certain “region of creation” to take poetry materials and topics for their
inspirations.
Each author has his/her own familiar and favorable system of
topics which can be called “region of aesthetic objects” (Nguyen Dang
Manh). That aesthetic region bolds impressions of the creator to
create special poetry style and private artistic thoughts for the poet.
When mentioning the aesthetic region in cultural works, country
should be mentioned in the first position. The country is the place where
there are nature, culture and people with spectacular impressions, unique
and unmixed beauty that cannot be mixed with that of the other region.
Rivers and mountains of the country not only create beauties but also tap
the supernatural atmosphere of land. Over thousands of generations, land

and people are tangled, fight against the nature violently to create
incessant changing life. The country has cultural resource and invaluable
humanity. Many generations and life have devoted sweat, bone and blood
to maintain, protect and develop the country to continue people‟s life.
Nevertheless, not all of authors have their own aesthetic
regions. Value of the aesthetic region is only developed when the
author combines his/her blood and meat with the country or has a
distinct aesthetic emotion to write his/her characteristic works. When
the work appears, it must indicate poetry topics that are both familiar
and new based on the poetry materials available in that country such
as images, scenes, events, phenomena, people and relations with
basic and crucial cultural elements that have been existing in that
country. Thereby, these materials contribute to creating the world of
rich, diversified and lively artistic images in the work. Since then,

8
artistic images are formed and held the cultural life of the writer in a
profound manner; thereby, artistic thoughts of the writer are formed
and developed. That is private space or aesthetic region in the
literature work.
1.2. Relationship between cultural region and aesthetic region in
literature work
1.2.1. Opinion about cultural region
Cultural region can be understood as a cultural entity including
distinct characters and colors other regions do not have or have but
these characters and colors are not typical. Regional cultural
characters are represented in the object and non-object culture,
economic fields (farming rice field or milpa, cultivating or
dispossessing, inheriting available assets of the nature), material
culture (house, costumes, jewelries, means of travelling), social

culture (cycles in a person‟s life: marriage, birth giving, funeral, way
of living), spiritual culture (faith, festival, folk culture, community
activities), etc.
1.2.2. Opinion about regional cultural characters
Regional cultural character is a concept that is characteristic
for unique characters of each region under the unity of one source
creating general cultural characters. Accordingly, regional cultural
character makes basic contribution to creating diversity for the
national culture picture. Regional culture shows differences, origins,
even eccentrics of tourism culture and general culture that give
prominence to original heritages of each region. Simultaneously,
regional culture shows differences of the characters in customs,
practices, rites, languages, etc. Ethnic culture follows geographical
space in a certain region.
1.2.3. Relationship between cultural region and aesthetic region in
the writer’s works
Cultural region and aesthetic region affect directly creative
thought of the artist. Literature represents culture and records

9
aesthetic values in the cultural life through images. Literature is the
mirror of culture. Through literature, people realize culture of ethnic
groups and regions. Through Hoang Cam‟s poetry, people realize
Kinh Bac culture and Vietnam culture.
Cultural region and aesthetic region are closely related. Therefore,
if cultural region and aesthetic region dominates activities and
developments of literature; vice versa, literature also affects culture and
aesthetics on the whole structure, or through its other components. The
national leading writers are also great and typical culturists.
Accessing to cultural region and aesthetic region through

literature in its nature means putting literature in cultural space with
its characters. Cultural region has been integrated into the world of
artistic creation and throughts of the author. That is osmosis into each
image, details of word, tone and artistic images. This osmosis is
transmitted in accordance with two orietations of synchrony and
chronology. On one side, values originated from the traditional culture
integrate into the world of images and words of the work that the creator
cannot cognize self-consciously. On the other hand, newly established
cultural and aesthetic values incessantly seduce, appeal to, challenge and
request the writer to answer, directly or indirectly, through artistic
languages in their works. For talents, these two ways of osmosis are mixed
so cleverly that it is difficult to separate them clearly.
1.3. Kinh Bac culture in Kinh Bac and Hoang Cam’s poetry
1.3.1. Characteristics of Kinh Bac cultural region
Basic characteristics of Kinh Bac culture can be generalized as
follows: it is the land of Kingdom of festivals; it is the land of
legends and myths; it is the country of traditional villages of smiling
and country of folk song culture; it is the native place of buddhism; it
is the country of the history of national construction and defense; it is
the sacred land with extraordinary people; it is the country of land

10
with hundreds of occupations and food culture traditions rich in lofty
civilization and humanitarian values.
1.3.2. Kinh Bac culture in Kinh Bac’s poetry
Kinh Bac is the homeland of legends, myths and folk songs of
the traditional village of smiling - national cultural foundations. Thus,
folk literature of Kinh Bac region occupies an important position in
not only Kinh Bac culturedevelopment progress but also in Vietnam
culture and literature.

By taking a comprehensive view, we can see that in one
thousand of Middle-age literature, there were many poets. They
considered Kinh Bac land region with thousand years of civilization
as poetry materials and topics for their works.
Following and inheriting the traditional poetry from the
previous centuries to the beginning of XX
th
century, among typical
poets and writers before the August Revolution of 1945, there were
many artists and poets of Kinh Bac country.
In the nine years of war against France and more than twenty years
of war against America and since 1945, poetry of Kinh Bac people has
created distinct appearance for Kinh Bac poetry movement in the general
flow of the national literature. We can mention authors of this period such
as Anh Vu, Duy Phi, Tran Ninh Ho, etc.
Kinh Bac poetry and literature in the XX
th
century were an
important landmark to affirm the literature that has had long-standing
tradition, making an important contribution to the national literature in
general and poetry in particular. We can list some authors such as Tuong
Pho, Bang Ba Lan, Nguyen Hong, Anh Tho, Hoang Cam, Bang Si
Nguyen, Ngo Dat, Anh Vu, Duy Phi, etc. All of these authors had great
contributions to the development progress of Kinh Bac literature. That was
a continuous and undisrupted flow over periods, which created distinct
cultural impressions for this country of civilization.

11
1.3.3. Kinh Bac culture - origin of the aesthetic region in Hoang
Cam’s poetry

Kinh Bac aesthetic cultural region had impacts on works of
many writers and poets in our country. However, it is said that the
core spirit of Kinh Bac only crystallizes, bears fruits and sublimates
in the poetry works of Hoang Cam. The author placed distinct
impressions on the path of poetry writing about Kinh Bac in the modern
age from selecting words to express his own “affection”, “spirit” through
nature, culture, customs and people in Kinh Bac land.
The author ever talked “More than seventy years are over, on
remembering that biosphere, my soul revive a restoring of life …Thus,
these emotions have entered my poetry out of my conscience”
Writing about Kinh Bac, the poet created a distinct cultural
space with typical features of this country such as customs culture,
river water culture, shining of Kinh Bac atmosphere, mountains and
hills, folk paints, world of leaves, grass, fruit, etc. All of these
features created a colorful picture which was pinned in Hoang Cam
country station - Kinh Bac country station in his poetry, as the poet
said: "all cleverly reconciled from the national dawn, disseminated
sparkling poetry particles into a passionate, perceptive, amorous and
multi-circonspection soul that innocent Kinh Bac boy who was
sometimes foolish, pure and was weak for many times raised his
little, natural hands to catch and devote his all life to writing these
poetry lines, bouncing scripts that knew how to dance, fly and
desired to fly further and more highly".
All of aforesaid things created a powerful source of inspiration in
Hoang Cam‟s poetry. Thereby, the author created a system of lively
images, diversified artistic icons rich in expressive, denotative and
humanitarian values through his system of distinct languages and tones.

12
Chapter 2

WORLD OF AESTHETIC ICONS
IN HOANG CAM’S POETRY
2.1. Opinion about icons and aesthetic icons
2.1.1. Opinion about icons
Icons are sentimental images on the objective reality and
contain a brief symbolic meaning including two aspects, denoting
thing and denoted thing. Cultural icons are some object, phenomenon
used for many times in cultural activities and gradually upgraded to
symbolic image to indicate the spiritual meaning apart from the
material meaning. Cultural icons contain the depth of emotion, nation
and age nature.
2.1.2. Opinion about aesthetic icons
Aesthetic icons are a means of plasticizing and expressing that
has suggestiveness, association, polysemantics and contains high
artistic value. Icons are specific images - in literature - icons are a
poetry material used and repeated for many times by the poet. In
particular, aesthetic intention always exceed expressed value. Icon or
symbol is a transfer of meaning based on rhetorical metaphors and
metonymies that are used for so many times that they become
familiar to people to the extent that at any time when these
metaphors, metonymies are mentioned, all of people understand and
agree with their expressed contents.
2.2. Kinh Bac natural icons
2.2.1. Icon of rivers
The images of Kinh Bac country‟s rivers were represented
clearly on Hoang Cam‟s poetry in the depth of cultural consciousness
with highly precise aesthetic emotions, suggesting many original
artistic ideas. Inspirations about of river (Thuong River, Cau River,
Duong River, Tieu Luong River, etc.) were originated from internal
emotion about Kinh Bac region. Despite unfavorable weather

conditions, ups and downs, these rivers still flew pleasantly. There

13
was a national poet named Hoang Cam who loved the country deeply
and countryside tenderly. There was also a Hoang Cam - poet of a
couple's love full of devotion and dream, mixed resentments that
were unable to be decoded clearly. Kinh Bac rivers was represented
in turn in Hoang Cam‟ poetry page with impressions of culture,
history and people that were both supernatural and indulged in the
rivers‟ flowing shape along with the length of the national history.
It can be said that Kinh Bac system of rivers created a world of
productive alluvium to support special cultural and historical values
of this country of civilization to make it develop, interfere and
resonance. Simultaneously, this system fixed its name and age in the
general flow of the national culture, creating a distinct impression
that cannot be mixed of Kinh Bac river water culture.
2.2.2. Icon of mountains, hills
Although Kinh Bac mountains and hills were limited, Lim hill
and Thien Thai mountain were the two outstanding icons in Hoang
Cam‟s poetry when writing about the nature, culture, love and
sediment between people of Kinh Bac country. Especially, these
mountains and hills were closely associated with sacred space of
pagodas, shrines, temples, etc. It seemed to be that no communal
houses and pagodas of Kinh Bac country was separated from rivers
and mountains, hills such as Dau, But Thap, Phap Mon, Phat Tich
Pagoda, Temple of eight Kings of Ly Dynasty, Co Loa, Hai Co, Lim,
Dinh Bang Temple, etc.
The system of mountains and hills here created erotic,
charming beauties for an indulged country of folk songs, etc.
According to statistics, there were about more than 40 times the poet

mentioned the images of Kinh Bac mountains and hills.
Accessing to the natural world of Kinh Bac mountains and
hills in Hoang Cam‟s poetry, we realized that any system of
mountains and hills here were beautiful, romantic, charming,
associated with the folk legend, legend, historic legend and

14
longstanding cultural history of the country such as Neo mountain,
Dam mountain, Tieu mountain, Che mountain, Phuong Hoang
mountain, Co Tien Mountain, Thien Thai mountain, etc. All of these
became the stage of poetry and songs and entered the world of Hoang
Cam‟s poetry like attractive old stories rich in the color of historical
legend but poetry. Especially, Thien Thai mountain and Lim hill
were considered as the cultural icons of Kinh Bac mountains and
hills. Simultaneously, these mountains and hills created inspirations
for the artists and poets of Kinh Bac country. This was a great
aesthetic region for Hoang Cam poet to express his own emotions.
2.2.3. Icon of leaves, glass, fruits
It can be said that Hoang Cam is the poet who created many
artistic signals, first of all, distinct and symbolic aesthetic signals for
one love in himself: love for the countryside and country was always
bitter and a couple‟s love with many love tumours but were anxious
and deeply resent in heart. The way of expressing love in himself was
not similar to that of any other modern Vietnamese poets. Hoang
Cam seemed to create a strange, marvelous and mysterious world of
love from Floral Leaf, Lan Dao Leaf, Bong Thi Glass, Truong Sinh
Leaf, Thien Dong Glass, Dai Bi Leaf, Be Bang Leaf, etc.
Those are aesthetic signals, multi-layered artistic icons that
integrated into his poetry inspiration, first of all, icon of beauty to
lead the poet into a highly mysterious, supernatural, illogical poetry

world with images that could not be easily captured by normal
logical thoughts but it was required to place that world in its relation
with distinct and new aesthetic cultural environment in decoding art.
2.3. Icon of Kinh Bac people
2.3.1. Icon of people in legend and history
In view of legend, unreality and mystery, the images of legend
characters, Kinh Bac‟s history put by Hoang Cam into his poetry

15
were alive, attractive and speciallly charming. These characters
became the images carrying eternal beauty, having everlasting,
unresting life. These characters included: An Duong Vuong, Thanh
Giong, My Chau, My Nuong, Truong Chi, Tu Thuc, Giang Tien, Hai
Ba Trung, Y Lan, Chieu Hoang, Hoang Hoa Tham, etc. All of these
characters originated or ever cared establishing the long-term cause
with the people in Kinh Bac land.
Hoang Cam revitalized the cultural and spiritual space of the
legend and historical characters in Kinh Bac land, making them feel
as if they were taking to the present people. It can be said that the
poet must have had a special emotion for the people and homeland to
be able to describe these characters. Indeed, the love devoted to the
homeland was the love for the country in himself. This love soaked
into his blood since his childhood and then became dense fields of
poetry, with green shores. Kinh Bac was like a cultural river running
in himself and then things depositing in those layers of alluvium were
poetry pages and text pages which contained artistic values waiting
for being discoveried and decoded by readers.
2.3.2. Icon of mother
Based on our survey results, in Hoang Cam‟s main series of poems,
the crucial one - Back to Kinh Bac (1959- 1960), there were 34 times per

48 poems, the author directly mentioned the image of mother. This was
the series of poems for the author to Thurify mother’s oul in the mood of
the child desiring to back to the homeland.
Mother was represented at many different emotional levels
with simple words. Looking at mother, Hoang Cam had a historical,
chronoligical view - a kind of interminable, nursed, created and
deposited time to take the shapes in Vietnamese excellences from Au
Co age.

16
With its nature as a literary image, mother image in Hoang
Cam„s poet appeared many different emotional levels was
represented by a variety of emotional feelings. In general, Hoang
Cam‟s poetry about mother meant writing about a cultural character -
a Model one which was affected, interferred and transferred from a
native cultural faith. Countryside culture, Mother culture was like
raindrops falling upon Hoang Cam‟s poet to make up a sweet taste
like the folk song rymes of his countryside. That was also the enzyme
to create a distinct voice in the poet of Kinh Bac culture.
2.4. Icon of Kinh Bac culture and customs
2.4.1. Icon of festivales
In Hoang Cam‟s poetry, almost all of original festivals of Kinh
Bac region appeared such as Wrestling Festival, Rice vermicelli
competition (Thi sợi bún), Nga Hoang Festival, Giong Festival,
Long Kham Festival, Van Ha Festival, etc. In series of poems Back
to Kinh Bac, the poet left a rymne (rymne 6 - Diem Trang) to
mention Kinh Bac‟s festivales and any festivale became icon of
people and culture herein. That created an attractive and typical
world and space of art in his poetry.
Kinh Bac festivals always convergeg the cultural beauties of a

civilized country. This was a kind of typical folklore and considered
the precious stone in Vietnam's storage of culture. Experienceing
many ups and downs of the society and changes of the
countryside and nation, Kinh Bac festivals weren‟t not only lost
but also developed more abudantly, beautifully and radiantly
along with the countryside traditions, representing the abudant,
powerful vitality and non-stop flow of Kinh Bac culture. One
another great cultural meaning of the festivals in Hoang Cam‟s
poetry was education although there was not any teaching
instruction or lesson made into writing.
Space of festivals highlighted the cultural soul of Kinh Bac in
his poetry. Thereby, it confirmed that Kinh Bac was always the great
cultural, aesthetic region in Hoang Cam‟s poetry.

17
2.4.2. Folk song - an original cultural, aesthetic icon
Although the author did not directly describe singing voice, he
mentioned the soul of folk song culture. Those are rhymes “ứ hự”,
“hừ la” full of chokes by tears, resentment - a distinct language that
only exist in folk songs and poetry: Ứ hự tình ơi/Đố ai lấp được
Ngân hà/ Để em về lấp lời ca đêm trường (Chân trời tua tủa mảnh
trai), hoặc Ứ hự hề hi ha / U ơi ời ới a (Chân dung
tự thú).
Folk song culture was a part of the characteristical cultural
space that affected the poetry life of Hoang Cam. Since then, he had
swallets of materials in consistence with his poetic emotion. That
artistic value was a abundant source of poetry inspirations and
materials for the poet to write the poems rich in folk song voices.
Hoang Cam was born and grown up in the land of folk songs. Thus,
he understood and felt passionate about folk songs. That love was

syntonized with his soul to form the folk song art ego in his poetry.
Therefore, folk song culture space in Hoang Cam‟s poetry always has
an independent value in all of his heritages.
By getting to know the art of building some images and symbols as
above, we see clearly the efficiency, creativity and spiritual beauty of the
author. That is also the vitality of the poetry pages rich in aesthetic values,
profound cultural values! Hoang Cam confirmed his name in the lyrical
poetry line of modern Vietnam. Especially, while the poet did not stop
with what he had obtained, he still made an unusual effort with all pains of
his personal tragedy to devote beautiful verses to life. Writing poetry
meant continuing writing the text of life; heart still bit and life still had
much of joyfulness and happiness. Poetries were written by all blood of
one life silkworm silking spit, swiftlet blooding to create nest. Moreover,
poetries were written by courageous pen, living capital and conscientious
and spiritual feelings nurturing heart rich of humanity and love for their
homeland and country! That was the style of Hoang Cam.

18
Chapter 3
AESTHETIC REGION IN HOANG CAM’S POETRY FROM
THE VIEW OF LANGUAGE
3.1. Opinion about language and artistic language in literature
3.1.1. Opinion about languge
Language is a system of symbols, a means of communication
and a tool of thinking. Language is formed in the process of
operating and exchaning with others of each individual in society.
Language brings social, historical and grading nature. Language is a
means of preserving and communicating information; language is one of
means of adjusting human behavior. Language exists in oral form (word,
language; speech, voice) and written form (letter, text, etc.).

3.1.2. Opinion about artistic language in literature
Artistic language is the one that is used mainly in literature works.
Artistic language not only has function of informing but also has function
of satisfying the aesthetic needs of humans. Artistic language is the
language that is organized, arranged, selected, refined from ordinary
language and achieves artistic value of the aesthetic social nature.
Artistic language in literature works is the national one that has
been formalized. Language has been formed, selected, polished, etc.
Especially, that language must bring aesthetic emotions and feelings
that are identified through emotional vibrations to readers. Those
feelings are different from that of science - pure vibrations through
reasoning and proving.
3.2. Characteristics of Kinh Bac aesthetic cultural region in
artistic language in Hoang Cam’s poetry
3.2.1. Combination of many channels of language
Language in Hoang Cam‟s poetry was the one of Kinh Bac
folk. His poetry attracted many different generations of readers. This
was because apart from the researches on innovation of art, Hoang
Cam still preserved for himself a source of languages and original

19
and excellent characteristic images of Kinh Bac. The poetic nature of
Hoang Cam‟s poetry languages was also the extension of New poetry
language. Thinking of language in Hoang Cam‟s poetry was the folk
type - public thinking, in combination with modern thinking -
personal thinking. But, Hoang Cam‟s poetry was not extended fold
poetry but based on that foundation of public thinking. The poet
made his own breakthroughs in the romantic poetry progress by
personal creation to both retained the common folk resource and still
recognized his own resource - a face of Hoang Cam‟s poetry - that

could not be mixed.
Nevertheless, in spite of being marked by folk thinking of
language in the way of viewing the world, Hoang Cam was a
modern poet. Visionary thinking of folk language in combination
with modern surreal view created a magical and surreal,
traditional and modern Hoang Cam. Surreal thinking that was like
a step of modern artistic thinking based on the philosophical
foundation, Bergson's theory of intuition and psychological
foundation, Freud‟s psychoanalytic theory brought a new and
more accurate look on fact. That fact was a combination between
reality and dream, between unconsciousness and consciousness.
It is possible to find in Hoang Cam‟s poetry the impression of
this legend way of thinking language when the poet created a world
mixing reality and imagination. Imagination was mixed with reality
like an obvious existence: Ao mưa dằng dịt lá trường sinh or picking
quả vườn ổi, crossing cầu bà Sấm, bến cô Mưa, similar grass, leave
cradling competition. But, grass and leaf here were Bong Thi grass,
floral leaf. Time was also formalized with Lieu Trai afternoons
(chiều liêu trai), night sof mythical fox turned human (đêm hồ tinh),
Kinh Bac gold nights (đêm vàng Kinh Bắc),etc. That was the view of the
legend and folk. The world was a unity of usual and fabulous thing.
Thuy Khue called “Hoang Cam desert was sparkling between reality and
dream” for that reason.

20
In Hoang Cam, there was also a combination between folk
language, romantic poetry language and language of symbolic poetry
- surreal in poetry. These languages were mixed in a flexible
poetry structure. That was the structure shaped in folk culture -
challenging structure, especially folk stories, folk songs, etc.

Hoang Cam was the leader in reforming poetry by suppressing
words, depending little on events. He was “chief leader” (Nguyen
Viet Chien) of the aestheticistic school in contemporary Vietnamese
poetry. Thus, when reading Hoang Cam‟s poetry, please feel firstly,
then interpret. In the traditional way of thinking, he modernized the
poetry thinking in a random manner.
3.2.2. Language full of symbolic nature and rich of music nature
It can be said that Hoang Cam‟s poetry was a poetry lyrics
full of symbolic and musical nature with high expressive nature.
That was a passionate combination between sound and word,
between rhyme of life and creative inspiration of the poet.
Language creating musical nature for poetry sentence still
resounded forever. It seemed to be that the poet was lost in the maze
of letters in "Labyrinthine road ". He was attached to that road like
Quan ho lovers. Kinh Bac aesthetic cultural region was stick to him
and purchased him to arise buds.
The symbolic nature in Hoang Cam‟s poetry was actually
viewed from the angle “strange” in the structure of sentences and
poetry idea. Hoang Cam was very precise in using verbs. Each verb
created the soul of the sentence and poem. Thereby, the verb oriented
readers towards other wider fields of meaning than the inherent one
to create a new aspect of meaning with strange nature in the thinking
way. For example, Giếng ngọc ễnh ương quát đêm tiền sử (Đêm
hoả), Trăng lên chém đầu ngọn gió (Đêm hoả), Tiếng trống chèo
vuốt ngực Châu Long (Luân hồi), Gió mát chồi xuân đay nghiến luỹ
tre làng (Đêm mộc), etc. Those were verbs expressing the world of
mood, organoleptics of the poet about life, culture and living

21
psychology of the people in Kinh Bac countryside that had been

deflected into his poetry.
Moreover, the symbolic nature in Hoang Cam‟s poetry was
sense effects of new prosody with the nature of cutting pasting,
highlighting popular and sublime, light and dark thing to a suitable
space of text to "connect" icon - aesthetic characteristics of the
postmodernism. This characteristics in his poetry was interesting in
the point that it created way of combining grammar and traditional
prosody until combining “planted spy” words that were specially
reselected to form a new symbol.
Hoang Cam used inherent material of folk languages to create
an artistic whole in flickering symbols between logo and material.
However, the traditional material when being used by the poet like a
platform to execute his reading on it did not retain the original
familiar aesthetic color anymore - it was strange like on Bertolt
Brecht's stage because the author placed and overlapped other
cultural icons over the old cultural icons with the fundamental and
material nature like this. This was obviously a great language
creation of the poet.
It can be said that thanks to his achievements in reforming his
own artistic languages, Hoang Cam took a further step on
representing his own artistic courage with strangeness, origin,
innovation, classic and popularity than ever.
CONCLUSION
1. Culture and literature always have reciprocal and close
relationship. Culture forms artistic ideology, sense of aesthetics of
the artist. In contrast, through culture, artist will enrich and enhance
the national culture. In the transformation of the national cultural life
as now when there is exposure and interference with many schools of
literary in the world, rebuilding and preserving the regional and

22
national cultural characters in Hoang Cam‟s poetry is an activity of
high respect and is waiting for empathy, exploration of multiple
dimensions. Moreover, cognizing on theoretical aspect, the nature of
the relationship between literature and cultural helps researching
Hoang Cam‟s poetry solve some entanglements, disagreements left
by the old approach; simultaneously, having theoretical foundation to
develop a new approach: Accessing literature from the view of
culture. This approach initially has some advantages to promote
discovering cultural icons in Hoang Cam‟s poetry in the relationship
with Kinh Bac aesthetic region.
2. Hoang Cam was a well-known modern poet with a distinct
and original poetry style, unique poetic verse. On the path of his own
art, he always sought and expressed new artistic ego. But the cultural
origin of the countryside was still the place where he came back and
considered this origin as his main inspiration. That origin was the
place for him to express emotions to create distinct characters for his
poetry. This consistency made his poetry become unique while
building the artistic icons about Kinh Bac cultural region.
3. The world of art in Hoang Cam‟s poetry was diverse,
multiple-meaningful symbols bringing profound values about the
cultural element of Kinh Bac region.
In Vietnamese poetry, Hoang Cam was a great poet, both in
terms of talent and personality. It is often said that every born human
is a product of his/her own hometown. And, Hoang Cam is "special
product" Kinh Bac land! In his poetry, there is a clear appearance of a
personality, soul and countryside of folk songs. The life and poetry
career of Hoang Cam are a typical case for one of the "secrets" of
success in modern Vietnam literature world. It is hesitance "in the
middle". Hesitance is between the poet and the warrior (national and

democratic). Hoang Cam is ideal model for one proportion of
intellectuals, writers and artists; failures in the struggling life cover
halo in his poetry career. Hesitance is between the traditional and