In Hoang Phu Ngoc Tuong’s literature, the most quintessential part is the memoir, which includes special pages about spring. In the memoir “The Corridor of People and Wind…”, the writer felt about the first peaceful spring marked by the historic Paris Agreement on January 27, 1973, half a century ago. That day is unforgettable:
“Night of January 27, 1973.
After just one more quiet night, the Vietnam War will end. I stand alone on the southern bank of the Ben Hai River, respectfully waiting for the moment when the whole world will return the second bank to this broken river of my country. Never before has history pushed such a solemn feeling of emotion within me, around a concrete pillar of a broken bridge. The country's two times of hardship has left its mark on the bridge pillar with many layers of rough oyster shells, like the muddy layer of hard work on the stone horse's feet that King Tran saw when he drove the enemy out of Thang Long more than seven hundred years ago. I am also a Vietnamese soldier, barefoot and wearing a helmet, holding the spear of the people, tonight I return to kneel and kiss the stone horse's feet...".
The anchors of literary memoirs are softly tied to the river of history, to the waves of community memory, especially to those deeply attached to the tradition of defending the country of their ancestors and the heroic verses of Dong A of the Tran Dynasty in the past. The opening paragraph of the memoir is a fine piece of writing that resonates with historical echoes and refined language art.
In the following paragraph of the memoir, when remembering a relative, the poet Ngo Kha during the war, who had written poems predicting the golden city of Lao Bao when peace returned to his homeland, the writer was filled with emotion: “...Re-reading Ngo Kha's poem from the bottom of the abyss of fire and blood, I did not expect the poet's premonition to be so accurate. In talented artists, the strong desire to live often crystallizes the premonition of the future...”.
The memoir “Spring Changes the Trees” is also a masterpiece that can be compared to “Fruits Around Me” and other prose works when describing nature. It shows a keen eye for observation, a delicate feeling, a pure writing style. The language is beautiful and elegant like a landscape painting by famous artists. A good work blends many colors, a very natural interplay between literature and painting, skillfully recording the changing dance of colors, making the reader sublime and full of excitement: “...After the season of young leaves, when the yellow apricot color of Spring has just become an old memory, the trees seem to have run out of color, then at the right time, the trumpet tree blooms...
In an instant, it turned jade-white, like the skin of a young peach, with the silhouettes of a few swallows flying around. I had just bent down to write a few lines about the scene before my eyes, when I raised my head and saw the jade-white sky turn into large, fan-shaped streaks of light, pink, gradually darkening to crimson on a light blue background...”.
Hoang Phu Ngoc Tuong is a talented and erudite literary writer with works about nature, especially in spring, full of beauty, purity and elegance, leaving a deep impression on those who love the art of writing and will probably remain long in the memories of many people.
Pham Xuan Dung
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