Vietnam: What is the sample analysis of the Poem "Ngắm trăng/Moon watching" by Ho Chi Minh for 8th-grade students? What literary knowledge do 8th-grade students learn?

What is the sample analysis of the Poem "Ngắm trăng/Moon watching" by Ho Chi Minh for 8th-grade students in Vietnam?

Students can refer to the following sample analysis of the Poem "Ngắm trăng/Moon watching" by Ho Chi Minh for 8th-grade students in Vietnam:

Analysis of the poem "Ngắm trăng/Moon watching" - Sample 1

Drinking wine and gazing at the moon has traditionally been a refined pleasure of the literati and scholars. Nguyen Trai once wrote: “In a tranquil night, one sips wine under the moon” to convey this leisurely indulgence. However, Ho Chi Minh, in a completely contrary circumstance, with an open heart and a deep love for nature, wrote:

"Ngục trung vô tửu diệc vô hoa

Đôi thử lương tiêu nại nhược hà

Nhân hướng song tiền khán minh nguyệt

Nguyệt tòng song khích khán thi gia"

After a challenging journey seeking ways to liberate the nation, in August 1942, President Ho secretly traveled from Cao Bang to China to seek international support. Unfortunately, during this journey, he was arrested by the authorities of Chiang Kai-shek and was transferred through more than 30 prisons across 13 districts of Guangxi.

The life of a prisoner, although physically challenging, could not erode his fighting spirit and love for nature. The poem "Ngắm trăng/Moon watching" is the most representative testament to President Ho's steel spirit.

President Ho's love for nature is first revealed through an extremely unique circumstance. Despite being imprisoned, this did not diminish his love for his dear friend - the moon:

"Trong tù không rượu cũng không hoa

Cảnh đẹp đêm nay khó hững hờ"

President Ho maintained a serene and composed mindset; however, to fully appreciate the moon, wine and flowers were needed. But in prison, with many deprivations, and barely enough to eat, where could one find wine and flowers to fully enjoy the scene? Contrary to this lacking reality is the exclamation and perplexity — what to do with such beauty tonight.

In the original text, the interrogative word 'ha' is used, expressing perplexity, not knowing what to do; whereas the translated poem loses this meaning, portraying the assertion of not knowing. Before the wonderful and mysterious moonlit night, a nature-loving person could not ignore it, hence:

"Người ngắm trăng soi ngoài cửa sổ

Trăng nhòm khe cửa ngắm nhà thơ"

The two lines in the translated poem do not truly capture the balanced beauty and rhythm of the original. In these two lines, Ho Chi Minh skillfully employed the art of balance. Within the lines, "nhan" corresponds to "minh nguyet"; "nguyet" corresponds to "thi gia"; between the two lines "nhan" corresponds to "nguyet" and "minh nguyet" to "thi gia." Such harmonious balance shows a close, equal relationship between the two subjects, between humans and nature.

The moon and humans, disregarding circumstances, transcend the cold iron bars, transcend imprisonment to connect and harmonize with each other. This highlights the beautiful soul: serenity and deep love for nature of President Ho.

Under the shimmering, enchanting moonlight, readers can fully appreciate the soul's beauty, the character of the person as well as the beauty of many past poets: Nguyen Trai, Li Bai, and more. Not only that, but the vitality in President Ho is vividly seen.

Despite living in prison, frequently moving from one prison to another with numerous hardships and deprivations, President Ho was still able to open his heart, passionately appreciating the beauty of the moon, and had a remarkable mental escape to reach out to nature. Combined with the language and rhythm of the work, he exhibited a healthy, vibrant spirit and an optimistic mindset.

The condensed four-line poetry form, though succinct, is rich with meaning, aiding President Ho to convey and express meaningful messages. That is an ardent love for nature, a serene and optimistic demeanor in the face of imprisonment. The poem is gentle, yet radiates the steel resolve of the communist prisoner Ho Chi Minh.

Analysis of the poem "Ngắm trăng/Moon watching" - Sample 2

President Ho, is the beloved father of the nation, a great person of the country and the Vietnamese people. Someone who dedicated their entire life to achieving extraordinary feats for the nation and the country. President Ho's heart is understood by the entire Vietnamese nation; the people of Vietnam will forever remember his gratitude.

President Ho's life for the greater cause was fraught with struggles as he endured incarceration's harsh and desolate conditions. From 1942 to 1943, President Ho was detained and tormented in prisons by the Chiang Kai-shek government. It was during this time that President Ho crafted poems reflecting his life in prison. However, these poems were not just simple verses. They profoundly and fiercely condemned the harsh prison policies under the Chiang Kai-shek government. "Ngắm trăng/Moon watching" is one of the standout poems from this collection:

“Ngục trung vô tửu diệc vô hoa

Đối thử lương tiêu nại nhược hà?

Nhân hướng song tiền khán minh nguyệt

Nguyệt tòng song khích khán thi gia"

"Trong tù không rượu cũng không hoa

Cảnh đẹp đêm nay khó hững hờ

Người ngắm trăng soi ngoài cửa sổ

Trăng nhòm khe cửa ngắm nhà thơ"

The moon, in the contemplation of poets from the past, has always been an intimate and treasured companion. Difficult feelings, hard to articulate, have especially been confided in the moon. Past poets also found gazing at the moon to be an elegant pastime. Drinking, moon-gazing, and composing poetry, what could be more wonderful than that? The setting for such lunar indulgence comprises clear, tranquil moonlit nights, merged with nature and the rhythms of life. But tonight, although it is also moon-gazing, creating feelings, it lies in an especially unique circumstance where President Ho admires the moon in prison, and views the moon under imprisonment and oppression, in a foreign land. In such circumstances, a person’s soul is overwhelmed with myriad emotions.

“In prison without wine or flowers

The beautiful view tonight is hard to ignore”

Being a person with the soul of an artist, President Ho had an extremely sensitive heart towards the changes in nature and life. Today, in a day of arduous prison life, it’s unclear what might have happened, but it is clear that today President Ho was full of feelings he wished to express. What President Ho desired now was an escape from the confinement of this prison cell; if not, just a glimpse of freedom outside would suffice. Yet wanting wine as a solace yields none; wanting flowers for internal peace finds only darkness. But today, nature viewed through the iron bars of this prison cell appears poetically beautiful to the poet-warrior-prisoner:

"The person gazes at the moon outside the window

The moon peers through the window looking at the poet”

In the deprivation of prison conditions, the moon-gazing of President Ho also formed a feast devoid of many standard aspects of traditional moon admiration and appreciation — namely, the presence of wine, close companions, and the freedom of being amidst nature. However, in this situation, President Ho lacked all such elements. Nevertheless, his soul clearly sensed serene tranquility from deep within, as President Ho knew his dear friend, the moon high above, deeply understood his sentiments. President Ho directed his eyes towards the window to view the moon and also realized the pure, kind moonlight reciprocated his heart. The bright and full moonlight illuminated President Ho's spirit, dissolving weariness and worries. This exhibits President Ho's serene poise in desolation, a demeanor not easily achieved but inherent in a person with great ambition, one who remains optimistic to maintain a pure heart even in such prison confines.

The poem "Ngắm trăng/Moon watching" is not merely a depiction of natural scenery but also encapsulates President Ho's spirit and heart. A person with great character, remaining composed and optimistic, always looking forward, even amid the harsh realities of imprisonment.

Note: The information is for reference only!

What is the sample analysis of the Poem "Ngắm trăng/Moon watching" by Ho Chi Minh for 8th-grade students in Vietnam? What literary knowledge do 8th-grade students learn? (Image from the Internet)

What literary knowledge do 8th-grade students in Vietnam learn in Literature?

Under Section 5 of the Literature Education Program attached to Circular 32/2018/TT-BGDDT, 8th-grade students in Vietnam learn the following literary knowledge in Literature:

- Imagination in literary works

- Title and ways to set a title for a literary text

- Theme and subject, ways to determine the subject; structure

- Plot, context, characters, language in humorous stories, historical stories

- Single-thread and multi-thread plots

- Main artistic techniques of satirical poetry

- Some elements of the law of seven-syllable regulated verse and quatrain verse: structure, rule, rhyme, rhythm, contrast

- Some formal elements of a poem: words, imagery, structure, emotional flow

- Conflict, actions, characters, dialogue, satirical techniques in a literary script (comedy)

- Some formal elements of free verse (six, seven words): number of lines, words, rhyme, rhythm

- Readers and their own way of receiving a literary text

- Reflected content and the author's view of life and people

What is the age of students entering 8th Grade in Vietnam?

Under Clause 1, Article 28 of the Education Law 2019 concerning the entry ages in general education:

Educational levels and entry ages

1. Educational levels and age groups of general education are regulated as follows:

a) Primary education lasts for 05 school years, from the first to the fifth grade. The entry age for the first grade is 06;

b) Lower secondary education lasts for 04 school years, from the sixth to the ninth grade. Students must complete the primary educational programme before entering the sixth grade. The entry age for the sixth grade is 11;

c) Upper secondary education lasts for 03 school years, from the tenth to the twelfth grade. Students must complete the lower secondary educational programme before entering the tenth grade. The entry age for the tenth grade is 15;

...

Thus, the age of students entering 8th Grade in Vietnam is 13, except for cases of grade retention or early or late school admission.