"The National Flag" - An epic poem welcoming the revolution

Immediately after the Party led the People to gain independence for the nation, to promptly respond to political tasks and welcome the great joy of the nation, Xuan Dieu wrote two long poems "The National Flag" and "The National Conference".

Hanging the national flag and the Party flag shows patriotism and national pride; it is the awareness and responsibility of every citizen.

The August Revolution created a strong attraction, drawing Xuan Dieu's romantic ego to the revolutionary wind that was blowing over the newly revived country. "The National Flag", a 300-verse epic poem, begins with a chorus of sounds expressing the joy in the poet's soul, which is also the common atmosphere of millions of people before the flag of independence: "The wind howls, the wind howls, the Vietnamese wind howls/ The clouds fly, the clouds fly, bright pink clouds/ The wind sings on the mountains, the wind praises on the passes... The wind flies away and the music flies with it/ Bringing new news across the sky of Vietnam... The wind has risen! The wind has risen across the mountains and rivers!/ The wind has risen! The wind blows the flags soaring/ Like all the surging tidal waves/... A wave of joy fills the chests of the youth/ New ferments mix into the heart of the country...".

Still the images of wind, clouds, mountains, rivers, flowers and grass, but they do not only bathe in the imagination, intoxicated by the life of the romantic ego, but exist in a very real way, full of vitality in a new perspective, a new mindset. Each verse in "The National Flag" is filled with excitement, extreme eagerness before the new image of the country, the new vitality of the nation symbolized through the national flag, the red flag with yellow star: "Many times through hardship and bitterness/ There was a time when the flag returned to Hanoi/ Returned to reign on the bright stage/ Among the people in the cheers...".

The national flag is solemnly hung on the roads in the countryside of Ha Tinh to welcome the country's major holidays.

The image of the red flag with a yellow star symbolizes national independence, the strength of the Party, the communist soldiers, militia, and guerrillas who have gone through countless bloodshed and sacrifices, overcoming the darkest days of shackles and chains to regain independence. Based on that image and theme, the poet develops a lyrical flow with an epic tone to generalize the arduous journey to the glorious victory of the nation, explaining the victorious power of the revolution.

The light of truth of the Party has shown the way, created a great righteous power that gathered the consensus of the entire nation to walk on the revolutionary path of independence and autonomy. Accordingly, with "The National Flag", for the first time, historical documents and images of real life, historical and symbolic places of the Party's leadership and the struggles of the people in all parts of the country from Viet Bac to Rach Gia - Kien Giang, Saigon - Cho Lon, from Nhi Ha, Cuu Long to Ngu Binh, Tan Vien, Hong Linh... entered his poetry in a natural and intimate way: "Who has ever heard of guerrillas?/ Mentioning them, my heart is filled with gratitude/ Oh soldiers, heroes/ Those whose souls are as green as jade/ Following the call of the sacred country...".

On the flowing stream of inspiration containing “endless joy”, the poet’s thoughts about the country and the People are summarized and explained deeply: “Oh history! In the days of August/ All over Vietnam, flags fly with the people’s hearts/... The ragged huts also bloom/ On the old roots, a new shoot of life sprouts/... One hundred years of destruction like mist!/ Vietnam! Vietnam! Red flag with yellow star!/ Chests hold their breath on the day of independence... Four thousand years, looking at Mother’s face, not old/ We still have the same young heart”. It can be said that this is the first long-lasting poem written about the August Revolution and the strength of the Party, of the revolutionary soldiers and the hard-working people. These philosophical verses of Xuan Dieu about the Party, the country, and the People were inherited and developed more completely by young poets of the anti-American generation in the long poems written about the resistance war against America.

The National Flag is the life of the Vietnamese people in me, it is my first love in the early days of the People's revolutionary government...".

Xuan Dieu further explained the state of mind intoxicated by the revolutionary atmosphere when writing about the birth of the long poem "The National Flag": "In those first days, all the freshness in people's hearts and on the country seemed to be concentrated and appeared on the red flag with a yellow star. We were drunk on the national flag of independence and freedom like drunk on wine (...). The national flag is the life of the Vietnamese people in me, it is my first love with the early days of the People's revolutionary government...". \

From the passion and infatuation in love of the romantic ego to the excitement and passion for the ideal, the new revival of the country, the People are all unified expressions of a sincere heart and utmost loyalty to life, to the fresh changes from life. Therefore, Xuan Dieu, and no one else, welcomed the revolution with all his emotions and passion. For the first time in modern literature, the image of the country and the nation as an aesthetic image, was portrayed in a great, profound and long-lasting scale of a long poem genre.

Nguyen Thi Nguyet

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