What did poet Nguyen Duc Mau say when his poem "Nep nghi" was included in the high school graduation exam?

Nguyễn Đức Mậu - Ảnh 1. — Poet Nguyen Duc Mau - Photo: NVCC

This year's high school graduation exam has two sets of exam questions for two groups: candidates taking the exam under the 2006 generaleducation program (2006 program) and candidates taking the exam under the 2018 general education program (2018 program).

In the literature exam for the group of candidates taking the exam under the 2006 program (including nearly 26,000 students), the reading comprehension question was on the poem "Nep nghi" by poet Nguyen Duc Mau.

Poet Nguyen Duc Mau is happy with the innovation in the way of learning poetry and literature.

When Tuoi Tre Online contacted, Poet Nguyen Duc Mau still does not know that the poem he wrote not long ago was chosen to be included in the 2025 high school graduation exam.

Previously, his poem "Hoa dong rieng" was also included in the second quality assessment test of the 2025 secondary school graduation mock exam.

However, Mr. Nguyen Duc Mau is still surprised by the innovation in the way high school graduation exams are made in recent years and the choice of his poem " Nep nghi" to include in the exam.

"The exam shows the innovation in learning and testing methods in general education today. I am very happy," the poet shared.

He said he wrote the poem a few years ago, from the life experiences of someone who has had many experiences of joy and sadness.

That is the message he wants to convey: The old and boring things must be erased, moving towards new things. Life is like a constant flow, people cannot stand still and become stale.

In addition to being published in the Writers and Life Magazine in 2024, the poem " Nep nghia" was also included in the poetry collection "Co tieng ai kep cuon" (Who is knocking at the door? ) by Nguyen Duc Mau (People's Army Publishing House in 2023).

In addition to the poems included in the exam, Mr. Mau also has a number of poems such as Morning Glory and Visiting Uncle Ho's House included in elementary and middle school textbooks.

Poet, military writer writes well

Mr. Nguyen Duc Mau (born in 1948) is a poet and military writer who grew up during the anti-American resistance war.

He enlisted in 1966, fighting in the 312th Division in the Laos battlefield. After the war, he worked as an editor, then went to Nguyen Du Writing School, class I, and then worked as the head of the Poetry Department of the Army Literature and Arts magazine.

He also served as chairman of the Poetry Council - Vietnam Writers Association .

During his writing career, he often used the pen names Nguyen Duc Mau, Huong Hai Hung, Ha Nam Ninh. He also published many collections of poems, novels, novellas, and short stories.

Nguyen Duc Mau received the State Prize for Literature and Arts in 2001; the ASEAN Literature Prize in 2001.

He is now retired with the rank of colonel and lives in Hanoi.