Standing in the rain listening to poetry reading at Thang Long Imperial Citadel on the full moon night of January

Head of the Central Propaganda Department Nguyen Trong Nghia presents flowers to Cham ethnic poet Kieu Maily at the poetry night National Anthem - Photo: HUYEN CHI

The second time it was held at Thang Long Imperial Citadel and held in the evening, both times, Vietnam Poetry Day took place in the cold spring rain.

The rain lasted almost all day, making the number of visitors to Vietnam Poetry Day this year, which lasted from February 23 to 24 sparse, mainly from the literary community, with very few members of the public.

The evening was the main event, with only the front rows of seats filled. Delegates sat under umbrellas and in raincoats listening to poetry readings and singing songs set to poetry.

In his opening speech, poet Nguyen Quang Thien - Chairman of the Vietnam Writers Association - affirmed that cold wind and rain are a challenge for poetry, but for the Vietnamese people, the more challenges, suffering and loss, the more the "flowers" of the heart and of each face are opened.

He called out: "Let poetry reign forever in the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people. Let poetry bring the desire for beauty and freedom to every destiny in every part of this beloved, majestic, indomitable and proud country...".

This year, we chose to honor ethnic minority poets, so the poems selected for display on the poetry street are mainly poems by ethnic minority poets. The display in the Memory House is also about a number of ethnic minority poets who received the Ho Chi Minh Prize, along with a number of works about the poet and President Ho Chi Minh.

Delegates and poetry lovers sit in the rain to listen to poetry at the outdoor stage at Thang Long Imperial Citadel - Photo: T.DIEU

The evening poetry reading event is also mainly dedicated to reading poems by ethnic minority poets or poems about mountainous areas and ethnic minorities.

Poet Nguyen Quang Thieu affirmed that he represents 54 ethnic groups and brings a manifesto about the beauty and freedom of each individual and each nation.

This year, perhaps for the first time, Vietnam Poetry Day will feature poetry readings by a number of poets from Korea. The Korean poets will read their works in Korean and the two hosts of the poetry night will read the Vietnamese translations of the poems.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/doi-mua-nghe-doc-tho-o-hoang-thanh-thang-long-dem-ram-thang-gieng-20240224224657246.htm