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| CELEBRATING POETRY – Poems, literary works, music and songs by famous artists in the south of Việt Nam are featured in the 23rd National Poetry Day in HCM City today (February 12). The two-day event is organised by the HCM City Writers Association and its partners. — Photo courtesy of HCM City Literature and Arts Association. |
HCM CITY — Country, life, love and youth are the themes of the 23rd National Poetry Day organised today (February 12) by HCM City’s Literature and Arts Association in District 3.
Young poets from 11 art clubs have presented their latest works at the two-day event’s opening ceremony for the HCM City Writers Association and its partners.
Poems by 12 famous writers from 1975 to now, including Bảo Định Giang, Chế Lan Viên, Hoài Vũ, Trần Mạnh Hảo, Nguyễn Duy, Lê Giang, Viễn Phương, Chim Trắng, Diệp Minh Tuyền, Phạm Sỹ Sáu, Trương Nam Hương, Thu Nguyệt, are also highlighted.
During the event, shows featuring Vietnamese music and dances by artists from the Bông Sen Art Troupe will be performed.
Poetry clubs from local universities and cultural houses will introduce their new members, while amateur poets will read their works.
Young members of the Bình Thạnh District Cultural House’s Poet Club will introduce and read extracts from the epic Lục Vân Tiên (The Tale of Lục Vân Tiên) by late poet Nguyễn Đình Chiểu (1822 – 1888).
Chiểu was a patriotic teacher, physician and poet of south Việt Nam in the second half of the 19th century. At around age 24, Chiểu contracted an eye infection and was soon blind.
Chiểu’s Lục Vân Tiên was written in nôm (the old Chinese-based Vietnamese script) in the 1850s.
The work is one of the two most celebrated Vietnamese epic poems, along with Nguyễn Du’s Truyện Kiều (The Tale of Kiều) in the early 19th century.
The 2,076 line-work highlights the culture and lifestyle of southern people. Topics of love, loyalty, bravery and fair justice are featured.
The epic is used in textbooks for secondary high school students. It has been translated into many languages, including French, English and Japanese.
It has been adapted into many theatre plays of cải lương (reformed opera) and tuồng (classical drama) as well as movies.
UNESCO celebrated Chiểu’s 200th birthday anniversary in 2021.
“Through our poet readings, we hope young readers can learn more about the remarkable writers of the South and improve their love for Vietnamese poetry,” said Nguyễn Hoài Trân, one of the club’s founders. — VNS
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