“Phan Thiet Night”, a poem by teacher and poet Nguyen Van Minh, came to readers of Binh Thuan newspaper on September 15, 2023.
Teacher Nguyen Van Minh was born in Binh Dinh, but he has been attached to Binh Thuan since the day he graduated from the teacher training school until the day he retired. He taught literature to many classes of students at Phan Boi Chau High School, Phan Thiet during his entire working time. Binh Thuan has become his second hometown. After retirement, he moved to Ho Chi Minh City to live. However, with the peaceful land of Phan Thiet, the author has many memories. He once wrote the poem: "Phan Thiet on the day of return", carrying his feelings for his friends, for Phan Thiet on the day of reunion.
As for “Phan Thiet Night”, once again, teacher - poet Nguyen Van Minh expressed his feelings before the scenery, the land and sky, and his dear friends in this beautiful, warm, and rich coastal homeland. For someone who has lived in a place for many years, the feelings about that place are very familiar, but it is also difficult to have new emotions. Very different from the way of expression in “Phan Thiet Day of Return”, the expression of the author’s feelings for the land and people of Phan Thiet in the poem “Phan Thiet Night” is very passionate, if not too enthusiastic!
Colleagues in the industry and literary friends of the teacher - poet Nguyen Van Minh often see in him a calm, unhurried manner in his words and behavior towards everyone. However, with "Phan Thiet Night", the lyrical subject is truly devoted to his friends: "Phan Thiet Night/ You and I are drunk on the streets, drunk on love". Not only that, when meeting with friends, his excitement reached its climax: "Phan Thiet Night/ You and I clink glasses to say hello/ The flower garden resonates, echoing up to the water tower/ My shirt is soaked with the night dew but I still haven't given up on the game".
The poet's emotions, perhaps first of all, originate from the coastal city, with the river, the sound of waves, the lights, the boats, from the lofty but extremely close and warm silhouette of Uncle Ho in the Relic Site, to the flower garden, the water tower... Oh my, there are so many landscapes, images, and constructions of this beloved city that evoke passionate emotions in him. The poem is filled with the pleasant atmosphere of Phan Thiet at night. Along with that are so many warm feelings in the poet's heart, so many memories in him. The image of a female guerrilla rowing a boat to take the Liberation Army across the river during the resistance war was recalled in the author's nostalgic lines: "Here still remains the waves/ The oars rustle on the river in the past, the female guerrilla".
Perhaps, when emotions overflow, the author, who is also the lyrical subject of the poem, will express his most sincere and passionate feelings through words, weaving verses? And those artistic words will easily evoke emotions in the hearts of readers. Readers are swept away by the feelings that are filled in the poet's heart: "Phan Thiet night. Oh, how wonderful! / Love of the city - love of the river - love of you - love of friendship / Memories filled with pent-up pent-up years / Come rushing back and bursting under the moon!".
The poem “Phan Thiet Night” is the result of the participation in the Dalat Writing Camp in 2018 by teacher - poet Nguyen Van Minh. However, with the reception of this poem, readers can see a vague similarity with the direction of night-time economic development of Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan. That direction is consistent with the upward trend of a tourist city, not only in the immediate future, but also in the long term.
“Phan Thiet Night” was composed by the author in free verse, which gives the poet freedom in expressing his feelings, so as not to be too dependent on the framework. Along with the inversion of the order of some words in the last stanza of the poem, the author also created a unique feature, making the poem more beautiful. Many times, the word “love” was repeated, in the first and last stanzas of the poem. That, perhaps, is to say that the poet is embracing many dear feelings that he has received in this beloved city. A night in Phan Thiet, a truly wonderful night, among many people he has met, with whom he has shared so many things.
The poem "Phan Thiet Night" has truly helped teacher - poet Nguyen Van Minh express his many emotions towards his beautiful and prosperous homeland Phan Thiet, towards his friends and loved ones who have accompanied him during the past months!
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