The voyage to Truong Sa, the emotions from the reality of life on the remote island inspired author Huynh Mai Lien to put into her poems and give readers a small gift from her heart.
As a journalist, currently working at Vietnam Television, and the author of many poems in Vietnamese textbooks for grades 3, 4, and 5; with many excellent animated film scripts and many poetry collections for children, it is understandable that Huynh Mai Lien's latest work is also aimed at children.
“Four Seasons of Flying Flags” is published by Nha Nam Culture and Communication Joint Stock Company in association with the Writers Association Publishing House. The book includes 43 poems, taking readers, especially children, on a special journey to Truong Sa - where small classrooms resound with the sound of reading, where childhood blossoms amidst the storms, where the red flag with a yellow star flutters, depicting the shape of the country.
In the poems, the image of the navy soldiers appears as strong, healthy, steadfast, and also very rustic, close, emotional, and cute. In particular, “Four seasons of flying flags” has the constant appearance of children in Truong Sa - a unique and extremely lovely point of view of the poem.
Regarding the journey of writing “Four Seasons of Flying Flags”, author Huynh Mai Lien shared that when she picked up the pen to write a new collection of poems, the first verses kept turning to Truong Sa. “I quickly realized the strong urge every time I composed, images and words about the sea and islands kept flooding back. I accepted that and followed that inner calling”, the familiar children’s author expressed.
At first, author Huynh Mai Lien was quite worried because children on the mainland had never been to Truong Sa to experience the reality. The answer came when she chose to write from the perspective of a child living on a remote island - an image associated with a real-life 4th grade boy she had met, to convey the beauty of Truong Sa, the island soldiers, the life and activities of the islanders amidst the storms... "The healthy appearance, brown skin and sparkling eyes of that boy were deeply imprinted in my mind, becoming a natural source of inspiration for the poems", the author confided.
The sea voyages, memories of Truong Sa and the small flag always placed on the desk have nurtured emotions throughout the writing process. “I write about the sea, islands, navy soldiers and love for the homeland and country. I believe that, no matter what age, love for the Fatherland in the hearts of Vietnamese people is sacred and noble,” author Huynh Mai Lien affirmed.
Along with the poems of author Huynh Mai Lien are illustrations by the young artist - her daughter Mai Khue with a bright, beautiful color palette, and more mature drawings. That is because Mai Khue is also a familiar artist who has illustrated many previous poetry collections of author Huynh Mai Lien.
The resonance of these lovely poems and clear drawings makes this collection of poems a bridge of emotions between generations of readers towards a common object of attachment - the beloved Fatherland.
Sharing his feelings about this collection of poems, critic Hoang Thuy Anh said that “Four seasons of flying flags” gently tells the story of a remote island, pure as morning dew, simple as daily life on a remote island. In particular, the images of the red flag with a yellow star appear quite often in the collection of poems, which have the meaning of connecting, spreading emotions and affirming the sacred sovereignty of the country.
Although written for children, the book of poems still touches the hearts of adults with its sincere poetic voice, restrained expression, and strong belief that the islands are a part of the flesh and blood of the Fatherland.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/tap-tho-bon-mua-co-bay-hai-trinh-truong-sa-neo-mai-trong-tim-713960.html
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