TÍCH hợp ĐÔNG tây TRONG THƠ mới NHÌN từ yếu tố TƯỢNG TRƯNG tt tiêng anh

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MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
HANOI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION

TRAN THI KIM HANH

THE INTEGRATION OF THE EASTER - WESTERN
IN NEW POETRY VIEWED THROUGH SYMBOLIC
ELEMENTS

Major:

Vietnamese Literature

Number:

9.22.01.21

SUMMARY OF THE THESIS WILL BE LANGUAGE LANGUAGE


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HÀ NỘI – 2019
The work is completed at:
HANOI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION

Science instructor:
1. Dr. Chu Van Son - Hanoi National University of Education
2. Assoc. Prof. Ly Hoai Thu (University of Social Sciences and
Humanities)
- Hanoi National University

Reviewer 1: Assoc.Prof. Pham Xuan Thach (University of
Social Sciences and Humanities Hanoi National University)
Reviewer 2: Assoc. Prof. Ton Phuong Lan ( Institutte of
Literature)
Reviewer 3: Assoc. Prof. Le Quang Hung (Hanoi National
University of
Education)


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The thesis will be presented to the thesis dissertation
committee
at Hanoi National University of Education
in ... ... hours ... days ... months ... years ...
The thesis can be found at the library:
- National Library, Hanoi
- Library Hanoi National University of Education


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INTRODUCTION
1. Arguments for research topic
1.1. New Poetry from 1932 to 1945 was a great accomplishment in poetry, marking a
turning point in the history of poetry and national literature, creating a stepping stone for
Vietnamese poetry to enter the modern times. As a literary phenomenon containing many
aesthetic values, New Poetry is still a unique phenomenon of Vietnamese poetry that needs
to be further considered.
1.2. Symbolist poetry was born in France in the 60s and 70s of the nineteenth century.
For about nearly eighty years of exstence in Vietnamese poetry, symbolist poetry never

cease to evolve. Between each stage, in each poet, along with the perservation of its
aesthetic characteristics, symbolism embodies flexibility, morphing to the tastes of each
person and incorporating elements of Eastern and Western symbolism (most notably French
Poetry and Tang Poetry) to contribute a multifaceted personality to Vietnamese symbolist
poetry.
1.3. In the past, there have been many studies on the of integration detailed the transition.
New Poetry integrated many elements such as the romantic, the classical, and the Thi Son
faction ... However, this thesis only focuses on the study of integration and distilation of the
symbolic element of French Poetry and Tang Poetry in Vietnamese New Poetry.
2. Research purposes and tasks
2.1. Research purposes
First, we research the symbolic element and identify it in the New Poetry movement to
see the dynamic impact and effect of the Vietnamese literature inter-cultural exchange
process, from there coming to scientific and objective conclusions, affirming the fact that
the convergence of many basic aspects and quintessences of the New Poetry movement is
the integration of the essence of the East (mostly Tang poetry) and the West (mostly XIX
century symbolist poetry of France) in New Poetry poetry viewed from symbolic elements.
2.2. Research tasks
In researching the topic of East-West Integration in New Poetry viewed from symbolic
elements, this dissertation sets out the following tasks:
- Explain concepts, terms related to the content to be further discussed, such as
Integration, New Poetry, symbolic elements, etc.


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- Synthesize and generally analyze the research findings on new Poetry and the EastWest integration in New Poetry revolving around symbolic elements.
- Analyze the factors affecting the East-West integration, clarify the East-West meeting
point in their symbolic views of the world, identify the progress of symbolic poetry through
prominent New Poetry authors.
- Clarify characteristics and modes of expression of the East-West symbolic integration

in New Poetry viewed from the perspective of image creation and poetry text organization,
show the integration mechanism of these two sources of influence in the authors and works
of the New Poetry movement (1932-1945).
3. Subjects and scope of research
3.1. Research subjects
We identify the subject of study for this topic as the integration of the symbolic
elements of French and Tang Poetry in New Poetry. The thesis does not cover all poets but
only seek to emphasize significant writers, particular those who have expressed awareness
about and proactively engaged in Eastern and Western symbolist poetry.
3.2. Research scope
The scope of the research includes New Poetry, however, we only focus on the essential
issues that directly relate to the topic, specifically to clarify the integration of symbolic
elements of French and Tang Poetry through aspects such as symbolic materials, imagery
creation and poetic organization ...
4. Research Methodology
4.1. Systemic-structure method: We will interpret the symbolic element of New Poetry
in a multidimensional relationship with the French symbolism and Eastern poetry (Tang
Poetry).
4.2. Method of approaching poetry studies: The New Poetry movement has been
successful in integrating French symbolist and Tang poetry; using this method, the thesis
investigates the symbolic elements in the New Poetry movement from the perspective of
artistic conception, artistic characteristics, artistic thinking, document structure, and intertextual concepts...
4.3. Interdisciplinary research method: Combining both literature and cultural studies
in research, we also focus on ethnographic operations such as statistics, classification ...


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4.4. Comparison method: The thesis uses this method to show similarities and
differences, traditions and innovations between French symbolism and Eastern symbolism
(Tang Poetry), between the trend of symbolism and other poetic trends.

4.5. Methods of general analysis: This method is used to analyze authors and their
literary works. On that basis, we draw general conclusions about the aesthetic characteristics
and literary study of symbolic elements in the New Poetry movement.
5. New contributions of the dissertation
In studying the East-West Integration in New Poetry, viewed from symbolic elements,
this dissertation makes the following new contributions:
- Firstly, this dissertation is a specialized project that for the first time directly
researches the expressions of East-West symbolic elements integration in New Poetry.
- Secondly, explain briefly and clearly basic concepts such as Integration, New Poetry,
Symbolic factors, etc. Explain the continuation and affirm the presence of symbolic
elements in New Poetry.
- Thirdly, explain and analyze the manifestations and principles of the integration of
symbolic elements in learning from Tang poems and French symbolic poems of New poets
in terms of image creation and poetry text organization to create a new style of poetry.
- Fourthly, affirm that the process of East-West integration is the law of exchange and
continuation that brings new color to Vietnamese poetry in the process of artistic creation.
- Fifthly, through an integrated perspective, the thesis applies the knowledge of
symbolic poetry to viewing New Poetry, to identify the poetic portraits that contribute
effectively to the modernization of literature. The thesis is also a useful reference for
researching and teaching New Poetry.
6. Structure of the thesis
In addition to the Introduction, Conclusion, References, the structure of the thesis
consists of four chapters:
Chapter 1: Overview of research issues
Chapter 2: The basis of adapting symbolic elements of New Poetry poets
Chapter3: Integrating french poetry and tang poetry in creating symbolist poetic material
Chapter4: Integrating the symbolic elements of French poetry and Tang Poetry in
organizing poetic texts
CONTENT

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Chapter 1. OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH ISSUES

1.1. Introduction to basic concepts
1.1.1. Concept of formation and aesthetic characteristics of the New Poetry
New Poetry of 1932-1945 is a romantic poetic movement, the greatest poetic
innovation in the history of national literature. On the basis of trends, "organization" - the
team, New Poetry is a large "movement" of poetry (not as narrow as a "group", like the Tu
luc van doan group). Because the authors who subscribe to romantism are of the majority
and their compositions are the foundation of New Poetry, research today still considers New
Poetry a romantism poetry movement.
Hence, it can be affirmed: The New Poetry movement is a phenomenon of poetry that
attracts many people to write and enjoy poetry. It deserves to be a romantic poetic
movement, the greatest reformation of poetry in the history of national literature.
New Poetry from 1932 to 1945, a movement as well as a poetic revolution, is the
largest poetic phenomenon of the first half of the twentieth century. New Poetry was born as
a historical necessity, freeing Vietnamese poetry from the strict normative frameworks of
medieval poetry to step into the modern times with a “free-spirited” structure, free in
thinking, inspiration, and expression, which means that it was no longer bound by an
unnecessary rule. New Poetry is the process of transforming the image-defining
characteristics in poetic thinking. As a kind of writing, literary, cultural and social
phenomenon, with many shortcomings of written material, New Poetry also requires more
specific and diverse attention. As such, New Poetry deserves to be regarded as the greatest
poetry innovation in the history of Vietnamese literature in the twentieth century, a radical
and comprehensive innovation from content and spirit to form.
1.1.2. Overview of integration
Etymology-wise, integration has roots in Latin, meaning the establishment of the
common, the whole, the unified on the basis of individual parts, so in other words:
combining parts together to make a whole.

In literature, we understand that integration is one of the literary and cultural efforts
(receptive and transformative) used to create a new product. Integration is not the physical
addition of new elements like mixtures and combinations. Integration is, instead, where the
elements are forged anew, where the elements are no longer present and there is a complete
change in substance, where they merge fully into each other and transform to create another
product, completely different in nature to their predecesors. It is the absorption and
incorporation of many different sources; the characteristics of integration is to acknowledge
the multiple sources.
1.1.3. Overview of symbolic elements


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1.1.3.1. The general meaning - Symbolic elements as defining tactics
Symbolism is a broad category of aesthetics, established through comparison with two
similar categories: On one side, there are the artistic imagery, and on the other, there are
symbols. Symbolism is imagery that can be also seen as a symbol, which is in itself a
symbol of the polysemic nature of images. The meaning of symbolism cannot be decoded
by rational effort; it requires deep emotional understanding. Symbolism differs greatly from
mere symbols, being simple yet meaningful.
In the field of literary research, symbolism is a form of transformation. The marriage
of the two aspects, content of the image and its figurative, to create either a symbolic match
or a concealment, which can be decoded with the sub-layer of text so that the whole work
will embody a symbolic meaning.
In the field of linguistics, symbolism can be considered a rhetorical measure, through
which things are expressed by allusion, often fixed metaphors: roses, butterflies and bees,
cedar, daisies, bamboos, ochna ... In written literature, symbolism is a fundamental
characteristic that is crucial to expression; it creates unique ways of association and
contributes to the artistic performance of the work.
1.1.3.2. The narrow meaning - Symbolic elements as a feature of a literary movement
Symbolism was born in the West, first in France. Symbolist poetry exploits the

spiritual world (the irrational, the subjective, the non-impermanent, the supernatural...).
Therefore, it focuses on sacred intuition. Its power is that it can imbue emotions, not
sympathetize with them.
From the content perspective, in the world of symbolism, which “begins with the
concept of recognizing the world as a murky and profound unity" (Baudelaire)”, there exists
harmony between things in the universe, between the natural and the supernatural, between
Man and the universe. Accordingly, all things in the universe are multi-symbolic. With
symbolism, the universe is a forest of symbols, where there exist correspondences, sudden
relationships of the consciousness and the unconsciousness, the fleeting and the eternal. And
symbolism is a literary device to express that unique worldview.
Symbolism is also created through simple artistic mechanism of poetic techniques
such as the use of metaphorical and rhetorical measures, symbolic comparisons – with only
the physical image revealed and the mutilayered emotional meaning concealed, which,
according to Baudelaire, represents the ultimate product of the sublimation and
solidification of the artist’s entire spiritual essence.
1.1.3.3. Approach to symbolic elements of the thesis:
The symbolic element in New Poetry is the integration of both the general and narrow
meanings as described above. The thesis also distinguishes between symbolic elements and


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symbols: symbolism is the popular method of thinking in literature, while symbols are the
result, or the product of this method of thinking.
Symbolism in the New Poetry is the result of the exchange, reception, and adaptation
from many sides: the West and the East (Tang Poetry and French Poetry), which approaches
the symbolic elements to bridge understanding of the world of art. Symbolic factors are
categorized as elements of creative composition that actively merge and evolve in the
artistic work of New Poetry poets.
1.2. Research history
1.2.1. History of research on New Poetry

Before 1945: The study of the New Poetry movement was mentioned very early. In
general, the outstanding works: Viet Nam van hoc su yeu (1941) by Duong Quang Ham [40]
and Thi nhan Viet Nam (1942) of Hoai Thanh - Hoai Chan [132], have proved to be very
sensitive and accurate in solidifying, generalizing, and summarizing about the definition of
New Poetry; these opinions are very meaningful.
After the Revolution of 1945: New Poetry, as well as the study of this art form,
experienced many ups and downs. Achievements in research on New Poetry during this
period, most notably the study of Phong trao Tho moi of Phan Cu De [25], also affirmed the
great contributions New Poetry had had on art. In this period, in the South, New Poetry was
highly regarded and was taught in schools. Prominent works included: Viet Nam van hoc su
gian uoc tan bien (volume III, 1961) by Pham The Ngu, Khao luan luat tho by Lam Gian,
Nhung buoc dau cua bao chi, tieu thuyet va Tho moi by Bui Duc Tinh,...
From 1975, after the reunification of the country, the issue of New Poetry evaluation
remained in negative press. Since 1986 (from the Sixth National Party Congress) to the
present, in a period of rapid renovation and integration (with the world), New Poetry and
many pre-war literary phenomena have been reconsidered and reevaluated in a more calm,
objective and scientific way. Prominent projects were: Ngon ngu tho (Nguyen Phan Canh)
[6], Van hoc lang man Viet Nam 1930 - 1945 (Phan Cu De) [34], Tho moi - binh minh tho
Viet Nam hien đai (Nguyen Quoc Drug) [150], Thi phap hien dai (Do Duc Hieu) [42], Tim
hieu tho (Ma Giang Lan) [60], Lich su van hoc Viet Nam 1930 - 1945 (Nguyen Dang Manh's
literary history textbook) [77], .... In addition, there were other forms of work going into the
poetic problem of the poets' own style, such as: The gioi nghe thuat tho Che Lan Vien by Ho
The Ha [35], Ba đinh cao Tho moi Xuan Dieu - Nguyen Binh - Han Mac Tu by Chu Van Son
[124], Tho tinh Xuan Dieu (Luu Khanh Tho) [140], Tho Xuan Dieu truoc Cach mang thang
tam 1945 by Ly Hoai Thu [143], The gioi nghe thuat tho Xuan Dieu, thoi ky truoc 1945 (Le
Quang Hung) [50]...
In general, New Poetry has had a long history of research, criticism, analysis,


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evaluation and as each day goes by, more and more achievements are coming into light.
1.2.2. Historical research on the impression of symbolism in the New Poetry
In 1941, Tran Thanh Mai completed the book series: Han Mac Tu - than the va thi van,
the first indepth analysis of Han’s poetry. In Thi nhan Viet Nam (1942), Hoai Thanh - Hoai
Chan have fairly carefully and objectively assessed French symbolism, as well as its
influence on the New Poetry movement.
Tho moi nhung buoc thang tram by Le Dinh Ky gave an overview of the New Poetry
movement. The author pointed out: "New Poetry by itself and modern poetry in general,
have sought new ways to capture and express things that are difficult to grasp, beyond the
capabilities of conventional poetry and other artistic styles and techniques ”[54]. Phan Cu
De in Phong trao Tho moi 1932 – 1945

referred to the influence of foreign poetry,

concentrated in the section "Tiep thu anh huong cua van hoa nuoc ngoai tren co so truyen
thong dan toc " [24 p.218 - 254]; in addition to talking about the influence of French Poetry
in general, the author mentioned the specific influence of symbolist poets such as
Baudelaire, Rimbeau and Verlaire on Vietnamese poetry.
Nha van hien dai by Vu Ngoc Phan, has devoted many pages to about 10 prominent
poets such as Xuan Dieu, Huy Can, Luu Trong Lu, Vu Hoang Chuong, ... When referring to
the relationship between Vietnamese poets and French symbolist poetry, the author saw the
similarities between Xuan Dieu and Rimbeau, Verlaire, and some poems by The Lu
mirroring the poetic symbolism of Baudelaire. In the treatise Mot thoi dai trong thi ca,
besides portraying vivid portraits of New Poetry poets and the poetic heights of Loan poetry,
Ha Minh Duc proved that Vietnamese New Poetry poets used poetry to symbolize feelings,
ways of thinking, and lifestyle.
Baudelaire, chu nghia tuong trung cua Tho moi by Hoang Ngoc Hien and Tho moi
cuoc noi loan ngon tu by Do Duc Hieu, stemming from concrete evidence from the New
Poetry movement, confirmed the presence and positive impact of Vietnamese symbolist
poetry and modern poetry. Hoang Hung discussed the journey to the symbolism of the New

Poetry movement in Vietnam, assessing: "In the age of Han Mac Tu, Che Lan Vien, Bich
Khe, Xuan Thu, New Poetry went into the poetic orbit of Europe and America.”
Tran Thi Mai Nhi wrote in Van hoc hien dai - Van hoc Viet Nam: Giao luu gap go
to demonstrate that symbolism is a school of Western modernism thought. French
symbolist poetry was making its the way into the literary hearts of the world when it
stopped in Vietnam and left inspiration for new poets. Phac thao quan he van hoc Phap
voi van hoc hien dai Viet Nam (Mui Ca Mau Publishing House 1998), by Hoang Nhan,
stated: In the process of colliding with French culture and literature, modern Vietnamese
poets have been receptive of the “synthetic nature of literary trends from the late


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nineteenth century to the twentieth century such as symbolism, art for art’s sake,
impressionism, surrealism ..." [86, p.156].
Pham Van Si released the project Ve tu tuong va van hoc hien dai phuong Tay, in which
he talked about C.Baudelaire and symbolism. Writing about the author of The Flowers of
Evil as well as the French symbolist school of thought, Pham Van Si made some discoveries,
generalizing many aesthetic characteristics and poetics of this school of thought. In the early
90s, in the innovation-inspired atmosphere of the country, during the seminar - to celebrate
the 60th anniversary of the New Poetry Movement (1932 - 1992), many articles were
selected by Huy Can and Ha Minh Duc to feature in the book titled Nhin lai mot cuoc cach
mang trong thi ca (1993). In that "lookback", many people admitted that New Poetry was
influenced by French symbolism.
Tran Dinh Su included in Nhung the gioi nghe thuat tho an analysis of symbolic poems
and affirmed the influence of symbolism on Vietnamese New Poetry poets. Inheriting the
achievements of previous scholars, Tran Huyen Sam wrote an essay called Tieng noi tho ca
(2002) to discuss new findings about the influence of the symbolist sect of France on New
Poetry on two main aspects: perception of beauty and poetics. The New Poetry poets also
learned how to recreate the musicality of the French symbolism.
Nonetheless, the first to study the influence of French symbolist poetry on the New

Poetry movement in a systematic, elaborate and comprehensive way is Nguyen Huu Hieu.
In 2004, he successfully defended his doctoral dissertation on the subject of Nhung bieu
hien cua khuynh huong tuong trung trong Tho moi Viet Nam 1932 - 1945.
(Expressions of Symbolic Trends in New Poetry of Vietnam 1932 – 1945).
The period from after 1975 to the present day, especially after 1986, the assessment of the
influence of symbolist poetry on the New Poetry movement, has had a positive, strong and
achievement-filled transition. When assessing New Poetry poets that imported symbolic elements
in their writing, it is important that scholars maintain a calm, cautious and objective attitude.
1.2.3. Historical research on the influence of Tang Poetry in the New Poetry
The study of symbolic factors, in general, has been referred to for a long time and has
attracted the attention of many researchers, however, it was limited to a short article and not
comprehensive review. First, we must mention Hoai Thanh - Hoai Chan, authors of " Thi nhan
Viet Nam " - a valuable first-of-its-kind research and critique of New Poetry. The authors
affirmed: "Among the thousands of young people influenced by French Poetry, many return to
Tang Poetry. Tang Poetry has always been well-regarded in our country. [132, p. 33].
Ngo Van Phu in the book " Tho Duong o Viet Nam " [105], introduced the process of
Tang Poetry immigration into Vietnam from the originals to the changes and creativity,
introducing famous Tang poems and poets and poems of medieval Vietnam. Ha Minh Duc in


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his " Khao luan van chuong " has discovered a connection through the tendency to perceive
and harmonize with the nature of New Poetry poets, in which time is indeterminate, yet space
is illusory yet brief; as such, symbolic elements are very common in poetry.
Nguyen Xuan Dien - Tran Canh Toan co-authored the article " Buoc dau tim hieu
anh huong cua tho Duong doi voi Tho moi " (Han Nom magazine - No. 3) in which they
agreed with the idea that Tang poetic material has ingrained itself and has become an
evolving part of the New Poetry art world. Nguyen Thi Bich Hai's Thi phap Tho Duong
studied people, space, artistic time, genre, structure, and language in Tang Poetry. When
discussing the poetic language, the author said: "Tang Poetry often uses allusions, yet they

never grow out of style." [39.p 275].
Furthermore, there are also a number of articles published in newspapers, magazines
(from national to local publishers), and websites dedicated to the study of symbolic
elements in Tang Poetry.
1.2.4. Historical study on the symbolistic integration of Tang and French symbolist
poetry in the New Poetry.
Studying the influence of French Poetry and Tang Poetry on New Poetry, Phan Cu De
wrote in Phong trao Tho moi: "New Poetry is somewhat similar to the French symbolist
poetry that New Poetry poets were influenced by. ... "[24, p.202 - 203].
It can be seen that Thi nhân Viet Nam has discovered the ingenuity of the New Poetry
movement. Hoai Thanh and Hoai Chan wrote: "Between the two school of thought: Tang
Poetry and French Poetry, there are similarities. They both dislike reasoning, dislike telling
stories, and dislike descriptions. " [132, p. 35,36]. The prevalent opinion has shown that
symbolist poetry has had a significant position to influence New Poetry. Regarding the
influence of Eastern poetry, especially of Tang Poetry, and Western poetry, especially French
Poetry on New Poetry, Phuong Luu, through the book Van hoa, van hoc Trung Quoc cung mot
lien he o Viet Nam, has pinpointed the impact of these two poetic sources on New Poetry.
Nguyen Quoc Tuy in Tho moi, binh minh tho Viet Nam hien dai (1994), [156] studied New
Poetry from the perspective of influence from all cultures: Western culture (French Poetry) and
local Eastern culture (Tang Poetry). In the article " Tho moi -cuoc noi loan ngon tu," Do Duc Hieu
commented on the new poetic language system. It was a mixed of Vietnamese with Tang Poetry
and the romantic French Poetry of the nineteenth century. The influence of Tang Poetry and the
romantic French Poetry on New Poetry Movement never separate.
Looking for the relationship between French symbolist poetry and New Poetry
movement along the method "affect studies", Phuong Luu chose to approach the problem
with another method: "parallel study"; that is, he did not set out to assert whether there was
influence or not, instead he tried to find the cause for harmonization between Tang Poetry


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and French Poetry inside of Vietnamese New Poetry (Thue tim nguyen nhan hai hoa giua
tho Duong voi tho tuong trung Phap trong Tho moi VietNam) [88, p.109]. Le Thi Anh author of Tho moi va tho Duong (2007) - inherited her senior's position when she said:
"Tang Poetry harmonizes with French symbolism within the process of Vietnamese New
Poetry’s adaptation. "[3.tr.172]
In addition to the comments of the articles, research works by Hoang Nhan, Hoang
Ngoc Hien, Nguyen Dang Manh, Ma Giang Lan, Nguyen Le Ha, Chu Van Son, Le Quang
Hung ... also mentioned the specific influential aspects of symbolist poetry that have
affected New Poetry poets.
Comments on the current state of research and the direction of topic implementation:
First: By reviewing the history of research and poetic criticism from 1932 to 1945, in
which there was the topic of symbolism and its influence on Vietnam, we see that New Poetry
was an extremely rich, diverse, and complex literary phenomenon of twentieth century
Vietnamese literature. The topic mentioned in the thesis is still meaningful to current affairs.
Second: There is no research considering symbolism in New Poetry as a result of the
quintessential integration of French Poetry and Tang Poetry in New Poetry (1932-1945), as
seen from symbolic elements. Therefore, the study of New Poetry in this respect still needs
to be continued on a larger scale and with a more comprehensive perspective.
Summary: The question of influence and the symbolic elements of French Poetry and
Tang Poetry in the New Poetry Movement has long been raised. However, solving the
problem of integrating symbolic elements of French Poetry and Tang Poetry into New
Poetry still needs considerable effort. The direction of the thesis does not study the symbolic
trends in New Poetry, instead, it only goes into symbolic elements, trying to
comprehensively study the integration of the essence of French Poetry and Tang Poetry in
New Poetry (1932- 1945), as seen from symbolic elements.
Chapter 2. THE BASIS OF ADAPTING SYMBOLIC ELEMENTS
OF NEW POETRY POETS
2.1. Basis for the formation of symbolism in the New Poetry with
East-West integration
2.1.1. Practical basis
In the context of Vietnamese society in the years 1932-1945, after the French

colonialists invaded, they embarked on a massive colonial exploitation endeavor that led to
the formation of modern cities and the emergence of a residential class system (capitalists,
bourgeoisie, and proletariat...). They constitute a growing literary force, wishing to satisfy
different spiritual needs.


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On that basis, they were confronted with their national literature and saw its stagnation
and backwardness. The task of renewing national literature in general and poetry, in particular,
became more urgent, both a prerequisite and a vital condition. In addition to promoting
traditional values, inner power, poets have actively embraced foreign elements. Instead of
looking to Chinese literature (Tang poetry) as before, they chose the path of "introversion" in
Western literature (specifically, French poetry). That choice has contributed to the voluntary,
long-lasting marriage between modern Vietnamese poetry and French symbolism.
Western romantic poetry, mostly French romantic poetry, has impacted Vietnamese
New Poetry poets the earliest, the most powerful and most widespread. With a long
background in writing in a heavily-structural way of thinking, New Poetry poets, when
exposed to romantic poetry, saw the most obvious opportunity for liberation.
The French symbolist poetry has been introduced into Vietnam, however, thanks to
their bravery, wisdom and national self-esteem, the intellectual class with "Western
indigenous learning" has chosen among the "colonial culture" which gems to absorb.
Modern Vietnamese poets not only discovered the good, the beauty, and the uniqueness of
this poetic sect, they also realized that there were similarities with the national poetry.
Therefore, symbolist poetry quickly captured the attention of many Vietnamese poets,
making it a historic reunion.
2.1.2. Theoretical rationale
In the historical period when the feudal government still existed, Tang dynasty’s
poetry was widely publicized, and became an ideal in the arts of poetry. Even in the early
20th century, when Confucianism was declining in popularity, Tang’s poetry still thrived, for
people could not easily forget what seems to have run in their blood for thousands of years.

Many poets in the New Poetry Movement era with broad knowledge in Sinology thoroughly
studied Tang’s poetry.
Poetry in this transitional period was only the first step of the old-style poetic system
shifting to the new-style one, paving the way for newer forms of poetry to come in the New
Poetry Movement in the 30s of the 20th century.
2.2. The meeting between the symbolic senses in French Poetry and Tang Poetry
2.2.1. Compatibility in perceptions of the natural world
For a long time, Eastern people saw the universe as a unified body and humans as a
micro-universe within that universe. Therefore, all beings and people have a close
relationship with each other and our ancestors believed that thanks to that close relationship,
Heaven and Man have the ability to interact and correspond. The symbolist poetry of France
discovered the interrelationship, the correspondence between the senses: scents, colors, and
sounds; the mysterious relationship between man and the universe is a coincidence between


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the search of French poetry and the depth of the mind of the Eastern and Vietnamese people.
Westernist poets met with the Eastern spirit in the belief of the universe unity, but they
are always conscious of defining the boundary between the poet’s subjectivity and the
natural objectivity as well as seeing the parallel existence of those two interconnected
entities. If Westerners find strength in conceptual and poetic thinking that is majestic, bold
and factual, then Eastern people are more fond of abstract thinking, using symbolic imagery
to express truth and the vastness of the universe. This is also the meeting point between the
Tang poetry in Vietnam with the symbolist French poetry.
2.2.2. Compatibility in intuitive perceptions and depictions of the world
We have witnessed spiritual encounters between the Tang and the French symbolist
poets. Distant as they were regarding time and space, separated as they were regarding
ideologies and spirits, they came together when describing a state of mind. They considered
feelings as the result of world perception through the five senses: hearing, sight, touch,
smell, and taste ... they suppressed emotions to achieve emotional harmony. Inside the mind

of a poet always lies an impressive archive, along with his impressions of sceneries, people
and things which form schools of association. Tang poetry and French symbolist poetry had
had certain moments of intersection.
2.2.3. Compatibility in the construction of images and poetic figures
The meeting point between symbolist French and Tang Poetry is still in the principle
of image building. We know the most important principle of literary law is brevity and
conclusiveness. The Tang poets conceived the concept of “ y ky lo, mach ky thang”,
advocated showing not telling straightforwardly, but only evoking through very intimate yet
poetic connections. Another feature that these two types of poetry share is the requirement
for musicality in poetry, which requires "thi trung huu nhac". Tang poetry not only wants
poetry to convey feelings and knowledge to the world but also to create pleasure and
aesthetic vibrations. The symbolist poet believe that thanks to the sound of the word, poetry
conjures up the most subtle nuances of affection, of the gloomy worlds within the soul of
man; with that melody, poetry will have a mantra-like value, fascinating the reader.
2.3. Overview of symbolism in the New Poetry
2.3.1 The formation of symbolic tendencies in new poetry
New poets tried every efforts to transcend romantic poetry to form a truly symbolic
trend, with the works of Han Mac Tu, Che Lan Vien, Bich Khe, Dinh Hung, Xuan Thu Nha,
Da Dai. .. At the first stage of the new poetry movement (1932-1935), the symbolic
tendency was not really clear. In the second stage (1936-1939), the symbolic poetry began
to flourish deeply in the new poetry with such authors as Xuan Dieu, The poetic school.
From 1942 to 1945), the new poetry showed many important innovative efforts. The Da Dai


16
group, with the participation of Tran Dan, Dinh Hung, and Vu Hoang Chuong, proclaimed
the trend of symbolism. Appearing at this stage, there were also the Xuan Thu Nha Tap
group which included such authors as Pham Van Hanh, Nguyen Xuan Sanh, Doan Phu Tu...
2.3.2. Notions about the symbolism in the New Poetry movement
2.3.2.1. The first stage (1932 - 1935)

People recognize The Lu as having the "boredom" (spléen), the depraved, the want
to forget about "painful animals" like Baudelaire; Lòng đã tắt không còn tin tưởng nữa/ Thì
quên đi! Quên hết để say sưa/Để mê ly trong thú ái ân hờ/ Để trốn tránh những ngày giờ
trống trải. (Truy lac); (The heart has no longer believed / Forget it! Forget to be drunk / To
fall in love with grace / To escape from the empty days. (Depravity); or listen to the poem in
which Luu Trong Lu extends some dreaming melodies, like the poetry of Verlaine: Em
không nghe mùa thu/ Dưới trăng mờ thổn thức ?/ Em không nghe rạo rực/ Hình ảnh kẻ
chinh phu/ Trong lòng người cô phụ?" (Tieng thu) (You didn't hear autumn / Under the
moon, sobbing? / You didn't hear the flare / The image of the soldier/ In her heart "?" (The
Sound of Autumn). With "Tieng thu," Luu Trong Lu recorded his emotions and gave himself
a quite unique spot on the poetry platform of the autumn-related poets. Luu Trong Lu once
mused: Poetry is not music but musicality in poetry is extremely rich.
2.3.2.2. The Secondly stage (1936 - 1939)
Xuan Dieu - a prominent representative of the New Poetry movement, was in tune
with Baudelaire's thought in the poem Corespondances. Xuan Dieu started his work Huyen
dieu with the words "Les parfums, les couleurs et les sons se répondent" (Corresponding
colors and sounds) similar to that in Corespondances. First of all, with Corespondances,
Baudelaire articulated the important characteristics of symbolism, initiating the trend for
sensory correspondence in France. Among the highlights of the "corresponding" theory,
Xuan Dieu has been most interested in two points. First, the concept of cosmic and
profound unity. Second, the correspondence of the senses. With the miracle of
correspondence, the poet indeed went into the magical world, made amazing adventures that
would not be possible without sensory correspondence.
From Xuan Dieu notion of symbolism, the world opened before the poet could not be
observed but the Huyen Dieu, Du Duong that logic failed to grasp. Hence, space in
symbolist poetry is extended to infinity and the world also appears complete.
Symbolist poetry began to take root in Vietnamese poetry from the New Poetry
movement. Baudelaire's concept of beauty spread to Vietnamese New Poetry poets, among
whom the most influential is probably Loan Poetic School. It is Han Mac Tu who admitted
that when writing, poets are in a state of "delirium", "dreaming" and "insanity"; based on the

subconscious mind, intuition arises instantly without the intervention of reason. Beauty is


17
the mystic and artistic creation and the creation of the metaphysical.
With the thought of " Lam tho la lam su phi thuong" (To write poetry is to create the
extraordinary), poets want to dive into the complex world to struggle, to challenge
themselves. Following the romanticism of the New Poetry movement, the Loan School of
Poetry embarked on symbolism and put poetry into the starting point of surrealism.
Influenced by Edgar Poe, Baudelaire and Western symbolists, and surrealists, Loan Poetic
School emphasized the role of poets, of beauty to the extreme... However, if examined from
the history of literary development, it is undeniable that the Loan Poetic School managed to
advance by taking a material leap in creative thinking through the concept of modern art.
2.3.3.3. The Thirdly stage (1940 - 1945)
If the notion of symbolism of the Loan Poetic School is skewed towards Western
symbolism, then the Xuan Thu Nha Tap group prefer Eastern symbolism. They advocated a
"pure" and clear poetry. " Tho chi can rung dong, khong can hieu va khong nen giai thich tho”
(Poetry only needs to move; there is no need to understand or explain poetry" [26, p. 461]. They
experimented with and went quite far in exploring closed-off poetic poems, once considered as
"hu nut" (pitch black( poetry (Buon xua - Nguyen Xuan Sanh, Duong xuan - Pham Van Hanh ...).
Besides Xuan Thu, there was also Da Dai. Although this group appeared quite late
and on limited newspapers series on November 16, 1946, the poets in the group (Dinh
Hung, Tran Dan, Vu Hoang Dich, Tran Mai Chau, Nguyen Van Tau) have all composed
previously, with close linka to the New Poetry movement. In addition to making in bold
impressions in the art, Da Dai had a manifesto, proving that they had a sense of creating
their own creative ways: combining tradition and modernity, the East and the West, they
believed that " tho cung phai am u nhu canh gioi cua cai toi tham lang (poetry must be as
murky as the realm of silent self), and thus was also close to the " vo ngon chi mi"
(speechless description), the illusory magic of Tang Poetry, which was by itself similar to
Da Dai’s commitment to the unspoken meaning. A prominent member of this group was

Dinh Hung, with his source of Western inspiration, most clearly in the direction of
Baudelaire, especially Rimbaud.
Summary: It can be seen that the reception of symbolism is both an objective factor in
the process of modernizing literature and an artistic choice of the New Poetry movement
authors. Although a sect from the West, symbolist poetry is not far from the tradition and
aesthetic experience of Eastern and Vietnamese people.


18
CHAPTER 3: EAST-WEST INTEGRATION IN CONSTRUCTING
SYMBOLIST POETIC MATERIAL
3.1. Popular symbolic imagery in Tang poetry and French
3.1.1. Popular symbolic imagery in Tang poetry
3.1.1.1. Nature images
Nature in Tang Poetry is skewed towards generality, for example, when talking about
the Mountain, people are not specific, yet generalization assigns it the symbolic meaning as
the rough and strong surface. Water, on the other hand, is flexible, persistent, and tender.
The authors have formed a system of allusive imagery and symbolism to express the world,
society, and people. For example, when talking about nature, it must be: "phong, hoa, tuyet,
nguyet" (wind, flower, snow, moon); and if referring to the seasons then it must be: spring
with its peach and apricot blossoms, summer with its lotus flower, autumn with its
chrysanthemum; while talking about distance, use the images: river, boat, the sunset, the
aodai flap ... When speaking of people, there are the generous and the petty. Generous
people are often linked with: cedar, chrysanthemum, apricot, or ochna... The petty are linked
with images of sparrows and swallows ... Therefore, when reading any poem written about
nature, readers are confronted with the natural landscape through which they can understand
the author's feelings.
3.1.1.2. Materials from human imagery
Space, time, and people are often considered to be the basic subjects when studying art
and literature; studying poetry, it is these elements that make up a Tang poetic picture,

where there are people, time, and space, portrayed in an ingenious, lively and meaningful
way. Nature is rarely absent from meditation poetry and Tang Poetry. It serves as a
background for human existence. It seems that in the spatial dimensions there is always
symmetry, propelled by the notion that "Man is the center of the universe.” Man is
inconsequential amidst the vast sky but the space in Tang Poetry is always open, creating
conditions for human souls to enter into space, transcending space. In general, the symbolic
meaning in Tang Poetry material tends to be metaphorical, relatively fixed. Each image of
Man in Tang Poetry expresses a philosophical conception, that people in Tang Poetry are
always hidden in the familiar nature.
3.1.2. Popular symbolic imagery in French symbolist poetry
3.2.1.1. Light, music, and smell
In short, art requires the creation of beauty; poetry is a miraculous artificial product
created under the power of the artist. That world is convincing and seductive to readers


19
mainly through evoking and foreshadowing. It is the interplay between the senses - sight,
hearing, taste, touch, and smell - which is also the correspondence between their objects. So
the sound, the color, the fragrance ... can be integrated into one entity. The object of poetry
reflection is manifested in many dimensions, nuances so that poems then become alive and
the process of artistic perception becomes rich and attractive.
3.1.2.2. Soul, body, and beauty
In philosophy and religion, each school of thought, depending on the origin, whether
East or West, has their own way of thinking. The soul according to the Eastern perception is
understood as a polysemy, meaning both the Devil and the Spirit. If the soul is a Devil, the
soul is heavy with the aspirations of the mortal man.
The soul is a special imagery in symbolist poetry. Nowadays, people are considered a
unity between body and soul. The body can die, but the soul is immortal and supreme.
Mentioning the Soul is mentioning the supernatural, an invisible power, beyond the control
of reason. Symbolism has overcome the aesthetic conception of E. Kant "art for the sake of

art" by T. Gautier. From the contrast between the beautiful to the useful, symbolist poets
have come to contrast Ethical and Moral Beauty. They extended the amplitude of Beauty to
infinity when praising both death, mediocrity and horror. Because according to C.
Baudelaire, Beauty can arise anywhere.
In summary: While the popular imagery material in Tang poetry often has a general
meaning inclined to be metaphorical, relatively fixed, both as a concept and as a symbol,
those in French poetry are very flexible, polysemic depending on the text. In one document,
the imagery may have this meaning, while in other texts it has different meanings. From
imagery, to create symbolist poetry imagery, one must go through a complicated process.
Symbolist poets prefer not to reflect the "real" world but to create a more real "reality"
based on the sensory thinking of a "visionary prophet”. Symbolists also seek new ways of
expressing themselves, identifying poetry with music, language, and symbols that bring
symbolist poems a modern look. About the poetic trend, scholars all acknowledge that
symbolist poetry opens a new history page for French poetry, which strongly influences
poetic scenes in the world.
3.2. Constructing symbolic imagery
3.2.1. Method of constructing imagery in Tang Poetry
3.2.1.1. Constructing symbolic imagery using metaphorical images
Poetry creates imagery based on familiar materials, according to the principle of
minimalism, inner spirituality, mainly by using generalized metaphorical images. "Metaphor


20
is the basic structure of poetry language" (Thuy Khue). Metaphor "is essentially an implicit
comparison, in which the original object disappears, leaving only the compared. Thus,
metaphor is the method of translating the meaning of an object into another object when these
two objects have some kind of similarity. Chinese Tang poetry is usually only suggestive and
not descriptive. Tang poems are condensed, so they are also evocative since the poets choose
only the most basic of images and recast them into subtle expressions. Demand for brevity
creates the evocative power learned by poets. New Poetry poets have been directly inspired

by Tang Poetry. Therefore, some of the New Poetry poets, though not raised on the values of
Confucianism, have a special love for Tang Poetry like Han Mac Tu and Bich Khe ... Many
who were raised on Sino-culture like Quach Tan have devoted themselves to Tang Poetry.
Poets such as Bich Khe, Luu Trong Lu, The Lu, Huy Can... all studied Confucianism; they all
knew the Western alphabet yet eventually returned to Chinese characters. Tang Poetry
communicated directly to their souls, controlling their emotions, thinking and expression.
3.2.1.3. Constructing symbolic imagery by contrast

−
−
−
−
−
−

Dĩ tiểu kiến đại: (using the smallto describe to the giant ).
Dĩ tĩnh tả động: (using the static to describe the dynamic).
Dĩ động tả tĩnh: (using the dynamic to describe the static).
Dĩ lạc tả ai: (using happiness to describe sadness).
Dĩ tân tả chủ: (using the objective to describe the subjective).
Dĩ khoắc kiến chân: (using the exaggerated to describe the truth).
3.2.2. Method of constructing symbolic imagery in French Poetry
3.2.2.1. Constructing symbolic imagery through symbol design
Symbols are the most concentrated, impactful images, evoking a deeper meaning
behind things. Every symbol is an artistic image; however, the artistic image is not
necessarily a symbol. To become a symbol, literary ideology must have a highly generalized
meaning and carry a more or less social and systematic impact on the artistic world of the
artist. Baudelaire said that the symbol "is really one of the most original and natural forms
of poetry;" the poet thus advised artists to focus on exploiting, comparing metaphors and
symbols in the creation of their art. In terms of artistic tactics, the symbol is a special

metaphor. The symbol Baudelaire often create reveals mysticism, the correspondence
between the natural and supernatural.
3.2.2.2. Constructing symbolic imagery according to the principle of interaction
French Poetry creates imagery according to the principle of creating a different and
extraordinary world. The aesthetic principle of symbolism is the fellowship and
compatibility of creating a different world. Baudelaire believed: The universe is a unified


21
entity, in which all correspond with each other. There is a correspondence between the
natural and the supernatural, a correspondence between this world and the mysterious
shadow world, and especially the correspondence between the senses. In the symbolic
world, inspiration flicker between dreams and reality, between the subconscious and the
conscious, and in that flicker, the poet rises to the heights of passion and pleasure. Poets feel
subtly and deeply the conflicts in the nature of things and depict them with dramatic
paintings of symbolist poetry.
3.3. New Poetry integrates methods of creating symbolic imagery of French Poetry and
Tang Poetry
3.3.1. Acquisition of symbolistic elements from Tang Poetry
In this Eastern-Western combination, New Poetry writers of the beginning of the
movement return to the traditional poetic styles and familiar sounds, yet the structure was
not quite the same; return to the conventional way of thinking, but with the perceptive of the
modern era. In ancient poetry, nature always occupies the "honorary status" (the word used
by Dang Thai Mai), Quach Tan also liked to live with nature and thus nature became his
most basic of poetic images, his main aesthetic object for his poetic soul. In the New Poetry
movement, the symbolic elements in Tang poems and French poems also sometimes ingrain
themselves in a poet, even mixing together in a poem. The New Poetry poets are most
directly, clearly, and profoundly affected by French poetry. However, an interesting point is
that French poetry – Tang Poetry have many similarities to each other, which is the nature of
poetry, although the East and the West have very different points of view, in two distinct

periods of time, and maintain opposite beliefs. New Poetry poets, in writing, have been
conscious of inheriting the Tang poetic flavor, advocating the application of the poetic
language and imagery in their poetry. Thus, to build imagery, New Poetry of 1932 – 1945
romantic thinking met the Tang thinking through the emphasis on polysemic brevity; New
Poetry poets were not mechanical and tried to make new discoveries while studying,
absorbing Tang words and symbolic imagery. This contributed to the vitality of New Poetry
which was still influenced by ancient literature.
3.3.2. Constructing symbolic imagery in French symbolist way
In New Poetry, integrating the ways of creating symbolic images of Tang Poetry and
French symbolist poetry is difficult to carry out because it is smooth and natural as if flesh
and blood; however, it can still be recognized through the manifestations of content and art.
New Poetry has smoothly commanded the homogeneous thinking and correspondence
method of French symbolist poetry. The result is a new type of imagery that leans towards


22
symbolism. Symbols are polysemic images. Some New Poetry poets, while technically
considered a part of this literary sect, still maintained influence from the other sects.
New Poetry integrates the homogeneous thinking, the corresponding tactics of French
and Tang Poetry. Poetry has retained and revived these symbols and cultural values through
the expressions of words. However, in the transition, cultural collision makes the "original"
symbols more and more variable with multilayered meaning. With the same original form,
yet the interpretation of the meaning of these "variations" differs between the East and the
West. Symbolist poetry, therefore, not only inspire but also evoke. Evocative poetry makes
reading difficult. Symbolist poetry is a poetic way of embracing the deep emotions of Man,
from the depth of spirituality, from the subconscious mind of the poet, so the reader must
open his soul to receive the most subtle things from the spiritual world, from the
unconscious mind within the poetic image.
3.3.3.Constructing imagery through integrating and transforming French Poetry
and Tang Poetry

If Easterners are focused on the homogeneous, single-sided imagery construction, with
a well-defined meaning and associated with metaphorical tactics, Western symbolists tend to
prefer complex, multilayered imagery, with many meanings overlapping so that they can
create symbols with layered meanings. New Poetry integrates the constructive methods of
French Poetry and Tang Poetry, using and transforming smoothly between symbolism and
metaphor; homogeneous thinking and correspondence tactics, resulting in imagery that is
polysemic. Even as a New Poetry poet, Xuan Dieu managed to incorporate the essences of
folk and classical poetry. Xuan Dieu enriched his works with all that a poet could do to add
quality for his poetry.
Summary: Wilful national vitality, the foundation of Chinese literature with unique
Eastern thinking and the historic encounter with Western literature have created the unique
image of literature in the time of great integration. Integration proved to be a more
comprehensive method in expressing the integration law of culture. Integration followed the
reception mechanism in the spirit of mixing traditional, cultural capital with Tang and
French poetry.


23
Chapter 4: EAST-WEST INTEGRATION IN ORGANIZING POETIC TEXTS
4.1. Text organization in Tang Poetry
4.1.1. Organizing text according to literary expression
Tang poetry is the literary product of the understanding of cosmic immutability and the
unity between the three elements, Thien, Dia, and Nhan (Sky, Land, and Man) in the age
when people see all changes as a closed-circuit cycle, the age of “golden moulds"imposed
on every human behavior and activity, including artistic creation. As an inevitable
consequence of the aforementioned worldview, the observable world became important in
the literary expressions of classical lyric poetry in general and Tang Poetry in particular. The
reason behind the unity between the literary expressions and the theme is because their
relationship in Tang Poetry is very tight: each topic voices a "unique" literary expression to
be further individualized in the poets’ hands. This common literary expression is based on

the contrast and unity between lyrical subjects, such as the oceans, the heaven, the earth, the
river, the mountain, the day, the moon, the past, the future... In that unity, the size of Man is
enlarged and the ability for human sympathy with his surroundings is almost limitless. Of
course, the people here have to be superhuman to get such extraordinary abilities.
The strong domination of literary expression creation in poetry also brings many ways
to start and end the poem. However, the reality is that the harmony in classical poetry is
very different from the harmony in modern poetry. In Tang Poetry, between people and the
universe, between reason and emotion, between emotional content and form of expression,
there is a corresponding, unified relationship.
4.1.2. Organizing text according to the space-time continuum
"Spatial continuum" is mainly associated with images of space, and its styles and
portraits. Although still subject to time manipulation, this type of structure, once used, is
still capable of creating a vivid impression of the space that the poet wants to describe, with
the illusion of the simultaneous appearance of images and objects in it.
"Time continuum " is associated with images developed in time (and of course in
space) as a story, a certain emotion, etc. Lyric poetry is often used in storytelling and
narrative forms. Of course, narrative in lyrical poetry is very different from narrative in
prose. The story included here does not include all the details and events. It is only
reproduced in a compact way, just enough to be the basis for expressing and deploying the
breadth and depth of the emotion of lyrical character with a problem in life.
4.2. Text organization in French Poetry
4.2.1. Organizing text according to symbol networks
The symbolist poetic structure appeared at the same time with the French Symbolic
School and then spread throughout the world with its rich variations. Symbolist poets


24
looked to poetry as a tool, a method to help people discover the mysteries behind the
obvious phenomena of life and the universe, and in that way, they affirmed that their
spiritual strength can see beyond appearance to reach the truth of the matter. Of course, to

become such a "tool", symbolist poetry must establish itself an organizational principle. We
can then talk about the encompassing nature of such a principle in determining the
corresponding relationship between objects. Using the same principle, each symbolist poet
chose for himself a specific structural method.
4.2.2. Organizing text according to the flow of music
There are many reasons for organizing poems this way; the most encompassing cause
lies in the interaction, the interplay of structures between art forms in an era. New Poetry is
the poetry of the romantic era - the era in which music reigned supreme in the artistic world
of sounds (according to R. Jakobson's comment). It is natural to see poetry directed towards
music, learning the specific expressions of music to renew itself, hoping to achieve brand
new artistic synthesis. Considering that New Poetry is seen as a universal phenomenon
showcasing the East-West cultural exchange of our time, this development path is crucial.
New Poetry has learned a lot from the artistic experience of French poetry in the second half
of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; during this period of development, the bright
stars of the French poetry unrelentingly called for poetry to "seek” music.
4.3. Organization of literary expression - structure - music in New Poetry text
4.3.1. Organizing text in a combination of rhyme and improvised associations
The New Poetry movement of 1932-1945 is a harmony of two faraway cultures, a
classical and modern symphony, and a combination of echoes between East and West,
“without distinction, it is New Poetry.” The harmony between Tang poetry and French
poetic symbolism in the continuation of Vietnamese New Poetry represents the organization
level of poetry writing. If literary expression is seen as the embodiment of the literary content,
then the shaping of meaning and arguments has completely dictated the expressive structure
of Tho duyen; in a literary work, the most important thing is not necessarily the idea, nor the
structure, nor the content-based formatting ; it is a transition that counts. This transition turns
work of poetry into a dynamic structure, in which, according to the linear progression of the
poem, the idea has both manifested and transformed into a poetic image in a logical and
complete way. Xuan Dieu's Voi vang invoked a fast-paced lifestyle, deeply rooted in the sense
of time, to elaborate about the shortness of human life. Therefore, the poetic circuit always
has a natural and delicate look. Voi vang is a rush of emotion, at times even a flood of

emotions, rolling with so many poetic images like a tapestry of worldly scenery. Yet it is also
a poetic version, which presents a notion about hurried human life. Perhaps it is not poetry
that illustrates philosophy, but it is the philosophical feeling of a poetic soul.


25
4.3.2. Text organization by connection of the imagery-symbol system
Tang Poetry also used the visualization of an awareness, an experiment; yet that
visualization only took place at the sentence level, but not at the level of the entire work
because classical authors have not paid attention to building a unified image that each
characteristic of the imagery corresponded to a specific aspect of the thought that the poet
wanted to express.
Symbolic elements in Bich Khe’s poetry occurred at both the level of letters and
sentences: Bich Khe not only put two different images side by side but also contrasted two
completely different verses side by side, such as Vang sao nam im tren hoa gay / Tuong tu
nguoi xua thoi qua day. ( Gold star lies still on the thin flower / Old flame must be
forgotten.) The first sentence describes the intimacy of the flesh: The golden star lies still on
the thin flower. The change in a poetic genre has its roots in the change in artistic
perception. New Poetry poets have begun their journey from classical poetry to symbolist
poetry with their own efforts to renew poetic thinking. A new concept of poetry along with
creating new imagery, with methods such as "selecting", "combining" words, sounds,
rhyming, rhythm, musicality, and new genres, ... on the basis of classical poetry has brought
about new works “upon the Eastern traditions".
4.3.3. Text organized according to the flow of music
Classical poetic musicality is tightly controlled, having a limited ring within the
prescribed framework, having the function of auxiliary elements, easing people's hearts,
similar to Bach Cu Di’s view "nothing is closer than sounds" (Thu gui Nguyen Chan).
Meanwhile, New Poetry musicality retains a certain independence and sometimes plays an
important role in controlling the organization of the poem, a dynamic element of the structure,
because it is associated with the natural development of emotions,... New Poetry not only

evokes images or symbols but also music. New Poetry poets such as Huy Can, Xuan Dieu,
Luu Trong Lu, Vu Hoang Chuong, Bich Khe, Han Mac Tu, Nguyen Xuan Sanh, Doan Phu Tu
... despite their differences, are mostly unable to exploit the benefits of musicality in poetry.
For them, poetry is music and music is poetry to express the delicate, endless part of the vast
universe and deep spirituality, and thus the advantage of the Vietnamese language and the
tradition of " thi trung huu nhac" (in poetry there’s music) are utilized at their utmost. It is one
of the important factors contributing to the addition of musicality in poetry and closeness
between New Poetry and the musical spirit of French symbolism.
4.3.4. Text organized according to the literary expression - structure – music
combination
New Poetry, which had "welcomed" Tang poetry, now "welcomed" warmly French
symbolist poetry. The harmonious influence between Tang poetry and the French symbolist