Following the flow of poetry into history

At that time, the epic poem “The Ten Thousand Day War” by Huu Dat came to me by chance - a historical epic. I read it out of curiosity, then was captivated, then thought and could not help but pick up the pen to write a few lines. I do not dare to discuss the literary aspect, nor can I express my admiration for the creativity of the “visual poetry” presented by the author through this epic poem. As a History teacher, I would like to say a few things to my colleagues: this is a channel to bring history into the lecture, not only in terms of knowledge but also in poetic thoughts, easily touching the young soul, from which they will both love History and love Poetry.

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Condensing the story into ten thousand days, Huu Dat devoted the entire epic poem to sketching the country's history for more than thirty years from August Revolution. Before that,The dark slave night, the moon is waning, Echoing the voice of the ancients: Who will save the country?The question was answered by the examples of Ton That Thuyet and the Can Vuong Proclamation, with Nguyen Trung Truc in the South, Hoang Hoa Tham in the North, all of whom eventually sank into a sea of ​​blood.But the Vietnamese people have refused to live a cowardly life for thousands of years. It's time for the two Phans to stand up.With a few strokes, the author analyzes the two Elders' tendency to save the country, but the outcome was also unsuccessful. In the meantime,The Party was born. If textbooks have to struggle to present the content of the Thesis, here, just a few poetic strokes are enough.The thesis states: The country must become independent, The land of a thousand years must be returned to the peasants, The factories, mines, plants, Workers must become the owners to build, The open path for the whole people to be excited, Together join hands to unite workers and farmers.Full of revolutionary goals: independence for the nation, land for the peasants, factories for the workers, worker-peasant alliance. So concise, so easy to absorb, which student wouldn't remember!

Since then, 15 years of struggle with the vestiges of Nghe An Soviet, of the Southern Uprising and the names of leaders Tran Phu, Minh Khai, To Hieu, Nguyen Van Cu, Ha Huy Tap... and thenUnder the leaf hut of Tuyen Quang, an old man with white hair, leisurely convened the Dien Hong Conference.From Tan Trao, the General Uprising order was issued,The Southern Expedition destroyed Phai Khat fort, The wind from a thousand directions cooled the sun of Na Ngan, The Opera House hung the national flag, The sky filled with the sound of the people's songs, Hue - Saigon was seething with excitement, The red flag fluttered all over the streets. The entire General Uprising from the Viet Bac resistance base to the capital Hanoi, spreading to Hue and Saigon was encapsulated in less than half a page of poetry with unforgettable place names. SoEighty years of slavery, people in misery, history is also dark.To this dayThe vast autumn sky of Ba Dinh shines brightly, Uncle Ho reads the Declaration among millions of compatriots, Giving birth to Vietnam from the hands of the imperialists, Joining hands to swear: We will live and die together, Even if we have to burn the entire Truong Son mountain range, Determined to preserve independence, For now and for the future.With this poem, students will certainly remember the Oath of Independence swore by Uncle Ho on September 2, 1945: “Vietnam has the right to enjoy freedom and independence, and in fact has become a free and independent country. The entire Vietnamese people are determined to devote all their spirit and strength, their lives and property to maintaining that freedom and independence” (Declaration of Independence).

Thirty years of resistance war to save the country, starting from September 23rd night, three weeks after Independence Day:Gunfire began to resound in the South, the opening song of the 9-year resistance war.War spread to the North, from Hanoi resounded the sacred call:We want peace, so we give in. We give in, but the enemy encroaches further, because they want to take over our country again. We cannot live on our knees, so we stand up.Huxu Dat's poems remind us of Uncle Ho's call in the past: "We would rather sacrifice everything than lose our country and become slaves."

For more than sixty days and nights, Hanoi was immersed in blood and fire with a tenacious fighting spirit.Every street corner has turned into an artillery emplacement, Every road has become a path of blood sacrifice.But then, due to strategic needs, the Capital Regiment had to temporarily leave the city.Leaving behind the ragged streets, Crying silently in the light of flareswith deep sadnessI miss you so much, Hanoi!From that day on, history recorded successive victories from Song Lo, Bien Gioi to Nghia Lo, Hoa Binh... and finally, the Dien Bien campaign. Many pages of poetry by the author have awakened readers to remember these great campaigns, from the dayThe Politburo met in a bamboo hut.timeUncle Ho trusted and gave Anh the important responsibility, this time he must win the battle of Dien Bien Phu.Taking on the mission assigned by Uncle Ho, from the border, General Vo Nguyen Giap thought day and night about the battle, and finally went to...A difficult decision filled with tears, Pulling the artillery in, now pulling the artillery out, Changing the plan of a quick attack into a steady advanceAfter 55 days and nights of fire and bombs, the final victory was achieved.The 9-year resistance war ended, the Dien Bien Phu battle shined in golden history.. As promised 9 years ago,Hanoi today is filled with new sunshine, the five city gates are bustling to welcome the troops back.

But from there, in GenevaThe agreement was signed to divide the country in two. Hien Luong suffered on every ferry trip. The night of slavery was still half the country.So the long march continued for twenty years, with the same armies going to battle, and many places going down in history.After the victories of Bau Bang, Ap Bac, Lai Ta Con, Lung Cu, Khe Sanh.The Mau Than offensive forced the enemy to sit at the negotiating table. The battle of wits between “fighting and negotiating” is skillfully recounted by the author:In every handshake there is a threat, I still proudly respond with smiles.The capital stood firm against the B52s,12 days and nights of Dien Bien Phu in the air, Hanoi stands firm for a thousand years,forced the opponent to sign the Paris Agreement after many years of protracted and treacherous negotiations. The American troops left, leaving the puppet troops behind in panic and confusion.Not missing the opportunity, we rushed forward, in the mountains and countryside, we set up a battle formation to destroy the enemy.. Again, the places that went along with the campaign: Buon Ma Thuot, Pleiku, Kontum, Hue, Da Nang untilToday is the final battle, The battle that shocked America, The country jubilant in the Great Spring Victory.

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Thirty years of war, each line of poetry brings readers back to the difficult, vibrant, and spirited days.To take up arms and enter battle, Only know how to attack and never retreat.A generation of brave and courageous people, willing to sacrifice and take responsibilityFour thousand years of history await.It was that spirit that multiplied strength in the war and wrote glorious pages of the nation's history.

But on the other hand, war is not a colorful embroidery but also has separation, loss, and pain. The poet does not avoid it, the lines of poetry go into the hidden corners of the soul, very real, very life. The pain of war is described by Huu Dat with thoughtful and emotional verses:Nowhere on earth does every family have to have mourning scarves.. Again the question is there any place on earth whereIn every house there are soldiers' uniforms, In every street corner there are people going to war, In every room there are separations.In that separation, the girls of marriageable age silently sent their tears asking questions.Will you come back when you leave?? Oh, the question cannot be expressed in words but is choked up into worries, tormenting the souls of many young girls day and night. The feelings of the soldier's wife are sent into the poetic form of the letter S - the Fatherland of Vietnam, causing great emotion. With the same question, many mothers anxiously wait, day after day, night after night listening to the sound of gunfire, waiting for their children's letters from the front lines. But alas, many times it is a letter of death,Every afternoon there is a mother crying, hearing the news that her son died in battle and never returned.Like a thunderclap, the mother struggled to hide her tears of love for her child. The price of war lingers like a deep wound in people’s hearts and in life. This truth is very important for the young generation to understand clearly so that they are ready to face it in the struggle for the sea and islands today:The awareness of the East Sea since then, Has permeated every mountain, every tree, And the heartbeat of many generations, Hoang Sa, Truong Sa, waves, water, sky and cloudsalong with the curseWe cannot let the enemy take away even a little bit of green floating in the sky. We cannot let them step on every grain of sand, even if it is still a young embryo.

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Let me pause here with a few thoughts. From history, the author writes poetry. History teachers, along with lectures, should bring students to history through lines of poetry. Huu Dat - a writer, poet, linguist, and educator - has set a successful example of the integration of literature and history, suggesting a channel to enter history through poetry alongside the official textbooks currently used in schools. At that time, the young generation we expect will both love History and Poetry!