Reference #5
Nguyen Duy is a typical poem in the class of young poets in the anti-American era and continued to compose persistently. Among his works, everyone probably knows the poem “Moonlight” composed in 1978. Coming to the last four stanzas, readers will feel the mood of the lyrical character when confronted with the lyrical character’s mood. with the moon of the present:
“Since returning to the city
familiar with electric light, mirror door
the moon passed through the alley
like a stranger on the street
Suddenly the lights went out
dark buyn-ding room
hastily open the window
sudden full moon
Face up and look at your face
something teary
like copper is a tank
like a river is a forest
The moon is round and round
tell me about the random person
the moonlight is silent
enough to startle me.”
Moonlight in the present is associated with the time when the anti-American resistance war ended. Soldiers leave the harsh mountains to return to the city of peace and modernity. Gradually getting used to the lights of civilization as “electrical light”, “mirror door”, they gradually forgot the moon that had been friends during the war years. Moonlight at this time has become a “foreign person” – a stranger, no longer familiar.
It was only when the unexpected happened that the city lost power and fell into darkness. The lyrical character immediately “blows open the window”, a strong and drastic action in search of light. Then suddenly, what appeared in front of my eyes was “suddenly a full moon”. Not today, the moonlight appeared, but not until today – when a very unexpected situation occurred, the lyrical character recognized the moonlight. The word “sudden” describes an event that happens without warning. Here, the lyrical character feels surprised by the appearance of the moon – a friend who has been familiar with in the past.
In that unexpected situation, the old soldier now had the opportunity to face the moon directly. So many memories from the past rushed back, making him feel “something tearful” – expressing emotion and choking. Those were the years of childhood in harmony with nature with the moon for company, the years of living in the mountains, fighting with the moonlight to share…
The moon was round and round like that, like the faithful love of a confidant for a soldier. Not a single bit of blaming the other person for being too careless, forgetting about the many years of friendship through hardships. The moonlight is still silently watching every human step with a tolerant, open look. It was that nobility that made “we startle”. That startle is the awakening to suddenly realize that I have been too careless, forgetting about my best friends.
With a natural tone, along with the construction of an expressive poetic image, Nguyen Duy sent a self-reminder of the past arduous years of a soldier’s life attached to nature and the country. simple and gentle.

Reference #2
Like many other young poets who grew up in the resistance war against America. Nguyen Duy has experienced many hardships, witnessed many great sacrifices and losses of the nation, and was attached to the nature of the mountains and forests of love. But when coming out of the time of fierce bombs and bullets, living in peace with many modern conveniences, not everyone remembers the hardships and fond memories of a bygone era. The poem “Moonlight” has recorded a moment, a moment of being startled by that inadvertently encountered thing, especially the last four stanzas of the poem.
The poem was born in 1978 in Ho Chi Minh City. It was three years after the end of the war, the liberation of the South, the reunification of the country. In the distant past, the image of the moon in the present is described by the poet:
“Since returning to the city
familiar with electric light, mirror door
the moon passed through the alley
like a passerby”
Peaceful country. Living circuTaxances change, away from the simple life of the past, people live in abundance in the “mirror light”. It is a full, comfortable, self-contained life in modern rooms, far from nature. Since then, the poet describes the change in the emotions of people forgetting the moon that was once a soulmate. “Moon of gratitude” becomes “a stranger on the road”. The moon is still “passing through the alley”, still full, still faithful and affectionate, but people have forgotten the moon, indifferent, cold, indifferent to indifference. The moon now suddenly became a stranger, no one remembers, no one knows.
An unexpected situation occurs: “power failure, room is dark”. This is a very familiar and very real situation, but it also created a turning point for the author to express his emotions and express the theme of the work. The author uses three verbs: “hurry, turn, toss” put together to express the author’s discomfort and urgent action to find the source of light. And that light source is the moon. The sudden appearance of the moon surprised and confused the poet, reminding him of many fond memories.
Since then, the poet’s heart was filled with thoughts and feelings before the moon:
“Look up at your face
something teary
like copper is a tank
like a river is a forest
The moon is round and round
tell me about the random person
the moonlight is silent
enough to startle me.”
The poet quietly faced the moon in a quiet, somewhat respectful position: “Lift your face up to look at your face”. The posture of focusing attention, looking directly at him face to face with indifference, emotion, fervent devotion, emotional and moving mood in the author’s heart when he meets the moon again. The moon reminded him of the past. Those are the memories of the hard years. The image of nature, the country is idyllic and gentle: “like a field is a pool / like a river is a forest”.
The image of the moon is round and round, symbolizing the past beautiful, intact and full of loyalty and benevolence. The word “just” shows perseverance, iron, even though the years have passed, the moon is still the same as the beginning. The image of “silent moonlight” carries the meaning of a stern reminder, a reproach in silence. It was the silence of the moon that awakened people and disturbed the souls of the soldiers of the past. People “startled” by the moonlight is the awakening of personality, the return to a clean and good conscience. The poet is startled because he suddenly realizes the unintentional humiliation, the haste in the way of life, the startle of self-repentance, self-blame, and self-imposed change. It is a word of regret, remorse, and beauty. Therefore, the last stanza is a profound philosophical lesson for everyone: Man must not forget the past, betray the past and nature. Cherish the good past.
The poem is like a separate story with a harmonious and natural combination of narrative and lyrical along with a sentimental tone in five-word verse form. Sometimes the rhythm of the poem is natural and gentle according to the narrative style, sometimes it hums passionately, sometimes it is quiet, expressing reflection. All have highlighted the theme of the work: It is a reminder, reinforcing in readers the attitude of living “drinking water, remembering the source”, loyalty and loyalty to the past.

Reference #1
The image of the moon has always been close to the people of Vietnam since ancient times. The full moon in August, the full moon every full moon day… the moonlight shining from the house to the alley… It is because of such close proximity that this is the image that enters the literary works of poets as a special source of inspiration. Nguyen Duy also found poetic inspiration through the image of the moon with a special poem “Moonlight”. The poem is the message and philosophy that the author wants to convey. This is most evident in the last four stanzas of the poem.
If in the first stanza, the moon is full of affection with the faithful past, sticking with people, then in the second stanza, the moon in the present has changed the emotional circuit of the lyrical character:
“From the day I returned to the city
Get used to the light of the mirror door
The moon passed through the alley
Like a stranger crossing the street”
When the country is at peace, when people’s living conditions change, that’s when people’s thinking also changes. When living in harmony with electric light, mirror doors, with full amenities, away from nature, the moon is like a stranger on the street, a stranger and unknown. The old moon has become the past, has become the nostalgia drifting into oblivion of people. The moon is still the same, the love is still intact, the people have changed. People have been indifferent, cold-hearted to the past of gratitude.
The character’s emotional circuit changes when an unexpected situation occurs:
“Suddenly the lights went out
Buyn room – dark nail
Hurry up to open the window
Suddenly full moon”
An unexpected situation, people urgently, hastily burst open the window. Man and moon meet. And the emotional circuit continues to be expressed in the next verses:
“Raise your face and look at your face
Something teary
Like copper is a tank
Like a river is a forest”
Face to face, here we understand the face is the moon and the human face. Both face each other. People now have tearful emotions, like all the past rushing back. It is the awakening after the oblivion of the past love. Facing the moon, people realize their indifference and indifference for a long time, all the past suddenly rushed back in very dear feelings. The moon is still here, still intact:
“The moon is round and round
Tell me about the random person
The moonlight is silent
Enough to surprise me.”
The moon is still the same, but “silent” enough to make people’s mistakes and insensitivities awaken, enough to make people startled. It is a timely awakening, an awakening of personality, of lifestyle.
The last four lines of the poem in particular or the whole poem in general are very real feelings about the messages that Nguyen Duy wants to convey to readers. Borrowing the image of the moon to speak about the way of life, lifestyle, and thoughts of a part of people in modern society, indifference, insensitivity to the surroundings, past and present.

Reference #4
The poem “Moonlight” was composed by Nguyen Duy as a self-reminder of the soldier’s past hardships. In particular, the last four stanzas of the poem clarify the feelings of the lyricist when he meets the moon of gratitude:
“Since returning to the city
familiar with electric light, mirror door
the moon passed through the alley
like a passerby”
The war was over, the soldier left the painful battlefield to return to the city. The modern life of the city with “electric light”, “mirror door” – that is the light of modern civilization has made people gradually forget about life on the battlefield. And the change in life circuTaxances has led to a change in emotions. The lights of civilization, obscure the familiar light of the moonlight. Then even when the moon accidentally crosses the alley, it’s like a stranger crossing the street. The poet used comparative rhetoric: “moon” – “stranger”. The two words “foreigner” are used to refer to people who do not know, complete strangers. Yet here, how sad it is when the “moonlight” that was once a close friend during the war years has become strange. Then only when falling into an unexpected situation, the lyrical character suddenly realized:
“Suddenly the lights went out
dark buyn-ding room
hastily open the window
sudden full moon”
The unexpected situation that happened here was a power outage, making the “buying room” dark. The lyrical character hastily “pops open the window” – a strong, drastic action in search of light. And then the moon appeared right before my eyes. It was not until today that the moonlight appeared, the moon was still there, only humans did not notice. The use of the word “sudden” evokes a sudden, unannounced feeling that makes people feel shocked and emotional. It turned out that for a long time, the moonlight was still there, full and bright. If before it was just a coincidence “passing the alley”, here, the lyrical character directly faced the moon:
“Look up at your face
something teary
like copper is a tank
like rivers and forests”
Facing the moonlight, suddenly all the old memories returned. “There is something tearing up” – a choking emotion when remembering childhood memories of being in harmony with nature, thanks to the days of arduous fighting next to the coming moon. Then, the character blames himself:
“The moon is round and round”
tell me about the random person
the moonlight is silent
enough to startle me.”
The moonlight is still as full as it is, carrying in it a sincere feeling of loyalty. And people change by accident. But before that change, the moonlight did not have a word of reproach – “silent”, but tolerant and forgiving. That makes people feel “startled” – awakening to the moonlight. People realize their own indifference and betrayal and then remind themselves not to forget that good friendship.
Thus, the last four stanzas are a big change in the emotional circuit of the poem. Nguyen Duy has created a unique situation from which to convey profound lessons.

Reference #3
The moon is a familiar topic in traditional poetry to express feelings, holy beauty, contemplation… and in each genre of poetry, the moon has its own beauty. Especially in the poem “Moonlight” by Nguyen Duy. Coming to the last four stanzas, readers will feel the message that the poet wants to convey.
The trajectory of life and the clear flow of life make people always busy, in a hurry, immersed in the fast pace of life and business. But life is a series of rules of cause and effect, one after another, people have good luck, bad luck, success, failure, joy and sadness, and the change of throne is inevitable for each person to perfect themselves. I’m more like: “suddenly the lights go out / the room is dark”. An ordinary, random event in modern life was brought into the poem by Nguyen Duy and cleverly used to become a turning point, pushing the poem to a climax. Because if it weren’t for that scene, few people would have looked back and considered themselves to realize their unintentional change. The last four stanzas of the poem highlight that:
“Suddenly the lights went out
dark shopping room
hastily open the window
sudden full moon”
The whole stanza is a series of continuous actions, one after another, fast, rushing and then surprised, surprised without words: “suddenly the full moon”.
I suddenly wonder why a full moon and not a waning moon? A question that is difficult to answer because roundness is a law of nature. And the moon here has been personified with very human and everyday thoughts and feelings: “the moon is still full and round / not to mention the innocent people”. The defect in the human soul suddenly becomes shy and embarrassed before the moon, before the wholeness; faithful before and after as one of the moon. If only the moon would wane for the hearts of those who have repented and be less ashamed of the moon:
“Look up at your face
something teary
like copper is a tank
like rivers and forests”
A moment of silence in reality, but in the heart of man, the emotion surges to its climax. All the memories of a distant time, a difficult, attached time suddenly flashed in front of me:
Moonlight, those are happy childhood memories. Or the copper is the pool, the hometown of the village and the loved ones. Also rivers and forests, comrades and brothers. It is also the joys and sorrows – happiness, the bittersweet moments of the past. However, people’s hearts soon forgot so that they were suddenly startled, suddenly awakened, regretted, and had to cry without words.
Once again the image of the moon is anthropomorphized. That’s no ordinary moon anymore. It was the face of a friend who once confided in the living, appearing before the moon. Through many ups and downs, that friend is still faithful, tolerant, and compassionate as ever.
Poet Nguyen Duy has found a point of view that is both intelligent and sharp; subtle but specific and detailed. Why not the lopsided moon; The moon is far away or the moon is shining, but it is the moon on the top of the head so that you have to look up at your face? Is that also the intention of the author? Because the moon is tolerant and generous. From the poet’s point of view, the moon’s light spreads out in an immense way; illuminating illumination. A vast, vast space covered with moonlight, immersed in moonlight – pure and pure ivory. Time and space (the moon shines overhead) in the stanza has made us realize that it is not early but it is not too late to not realize everything. Did the poet identify time in reality and time in the human mind? The image of the moon here has culminated in the author’s success. It contains a great deep meaning, a great human value. The moon is no longer the moon of nature; The moon is not like a person, but it has a symbolic meaning for a whole class of people, a generation. A generation with many dedications and sacrifices in difficult and fierce times; During the difficult and challenging years when the country was in danger, when they returned to normal life – the country was peaceful, they were simple and frugal, without any demands, jostling for fame. Among them were those who were not fortunate enough to return; there are those who still leave part of the body and war legacy on the battlefield for their children; There are people who are known by their homeland, but there are still people whose wealth is just a worn-out backpack because of the battle and their lives are just quietly and idly like many other ordinary people, but they still live and keep the full affection for the homeland, the country, with his comrades. A magnanimous, tolerant, generous heart, an optimism that believes in life. Their love is still round and round, before and after as a place to tell to those who accidentally, those who forget. The moon returns to itself; natural, rustic:
“The moon is round and round”
tell me about the random person
the moonlight is silent
enough to startle me.”
The words make the image of the poem deeply engraved in people’s minds, causing people to question their conscience and reflect on themselves. The last two sentences of the poem are a gentle but profound conclusion, creating a calmness for the poem. The author’s surprise is also what Nguyen Duy wants to convey and remind each of us: today’s life is noisy and bustling; Although each person only has a moment to wake up and look at themselves, it will make life so meaningful and valuable.
The poem is not philosophical, but it has left in the reader’s heart a line of thoughts about humanity; The past and the present always go hand in hand, reminding each person to perfect; It is the art of using recollection, self-struggle, and inner thinking that has made the success of the poem, making the poem stand out with time.

Reference #6
Nguyen Duy belongs to the generation of writers who grew up in the resistance war against the US. Coming out of the war, Nguyen Duy’s poetic soul was in pain and troubled with ancient memories and gratitude in the resistance war. The poem “Moonlight” expresses such a confidant of the poet. The following verse makes this very clear:
“Since returning to the city
…
enough to startle me.”
The poem was born when the country went through difficult wars. The poet leaves the battlefields to return to peace, to peace. Thought that life from now on was only streets, electric lights; the old years have passed, all gone and never returned…
From childhood years of hard work and attachment to the fields, rivers and lakes to the arduous war years living with the forest, the moon is always close and intimate. Between humans and nature, with the moon is a relationship of coexistence, a close relationship. The moon is a companion on every arduous step, so the moon is present as an image of the past, the embodiment of memories full of love. People assume about the durability of that relationship, but:
“Since returning to the city
familiar with electric light, mirror door
the moon passed through the alley
like a passerby”
Modern life with the glare of electric light, the mirror door has overshadowed the light of the moon. The author has created a contrast between the image of the moon as a soulmate and love in the past and the moon “like a passerby” in the present. This opposition describes changes in human emotions. In the past, we innocently lived “with the field, with the river, with the pool”, with the hardships “in the forest”, then the moon was filled with love, nature and people were close and harmonious. Now, the habit of living a life full of means makes us no longer see the moon as a soulmate and love. Poets talk about the moon to say status, love.
However, modern life always has its uncertainties. And it is in these uncertainties that the light of the past and of grace shines again, when people realize the value of the past arduous but full of love and lack:
“Suddenly the lights went out
dark buyn-ding room
hastily open the window
suddenly the full moon…”
This is an important stanza in the structure of the whole poem, a significant turning point in the emotional circuit, revealing the ideological theme of the poem.
Not only is it a timely replacement of moonlight for electricity, it is also an awakening and awakening to the meaning of the past days, of the idyllic things of life, of nature, of strength. Living beyond the space and time of the soulmate and love. The words “bounce”, “suddenly” describe a strong, unexpected emotional state. There is something like panic and anxiety in the image of “hurrying open the window”. The full moon doesn’t come when the “lights go out”? Just like in the past years, the beauty of the fields, rivers, lakes and forests has not been lost. It’s just a matter of whether people realize it or not. And so in that moment of “suddenly” facing the moon, the old love “swallowed” came to life, sobbing in people’s hearts:
“Look up at your face
something teary
like copper is a tank
like rivers and forests”
“Facing up to look at your face” is written so that two faces – two old friends looking directly at each other, to wonder if they still remember each other, to let old memories suddenly flash back into their memories, to tighten their grip. people’s hearts because of their own indifference. Indeed, facing the moon is facing oneself, with the present person and also with the person in the past. The moon has symbolic meaning. The moon is facing a human face, the moon is also a human face, the past is shining in reality, the moon is a soulmate, an old love…
“The moon is round and round”
Tell me about the random person
the moonlight is silent
enough to startle me.”
The moon suddenly appeared with a haunting beauty. “The moon is always round and round”, the time of the full moon is on the full moon day of every month. The verse evokes the fullness, roundness of the moon and also the gentle brightness of the purest light in the universe. The night of the full moon, the moon let the space overflow with soft yellow light, like sweet honey. The moon seemed to scatter silver on the water. The moon like to water clean, beautify, shine on the groves. The moon makes people’s faces happy and smiling. And as writer Nam Cao said: “the moon makes everything beautiful”. But the “roundness” of the moon also evokes another thought: the moon is still full of “crescent” meaning that the moon is still full of old favors with the soldiers. And it is worth thinking that the moon is still full even when people have “accidentally”: “The moon is always round / full of people accidentally”.
The verse sows in the reader’s heart a moment of shock and then repentance and torment. That moon is like many people, so many beautiful memories have passed through our lives. The people of the past, the old memories… all still have the whole faithful heart. As for me, just a little vanity, fame and fortune, but have forgotten the old graces and sacred oaths. And then, we feel more tormented and troubled by the immense silence of the noble full moon: “The moonlight is silent/enough to startle me”.
“Moonlight is silent” to forever reverberate the lines of light spreading throughout the world. It also means that the moon will always be generous, gentle and generous. What is scary is the silence of memory. I have forgotten the past, I have made a mistake with the old people to live a noisy and bustling life, but everyone is still silently watching me with a tolerant, open look. And it is because of that nobility that makes us “startled”. “Startled” to realize the beauty of the ancients. “Startled” to realize his reprehensible part of indifference and oblivion. “Startled” also to know how to look at yourself properly. Money, fame and fortune, that is not the most valuable thing in life. Must know how to live with love, meaning, complete loyalty before and after to make people’s hearts clean and peaceful.
Without using many sophisticated and sophisticated artistic techniques, Nguyen Duy’s poem goes to people’s hearts because of the simplicity of the very human emotional law. Reading the stanza, the reader feels deeply the profound philosophy that the poet has sent. We must know how to live fully and fully with the old graces so that we can live fully and peacefully in life.
The poem is like a separate story, a love story between people and the moon. The combination of narrative and lyrical elements creates a moody tone for the whole poem. The rhythm is rhythmic according to the natural narration of the lyrical characters, but sometimes humming, earnest or sometimes quiet and contemplative.
