The poem 'Old Teacher' helps readers deeply feel the sacred teacher-student relationship in everyone's heart.
OLD TEACHER
The old teacher sits in the corner of the country market.
Moldy tray, dozen eggs, bunch of bananas
The market is closed in the afternoon, people's shadows lean past quickly
She still sits and invites strangers and acquaintances.
- How much is this, please sell it all to me!
Buy as a gift to visit old teacher
Forty years of being an expatriate
Come back to find her, forget the old way in.
- Where are you, you are so precious!
No charge, I'll pack it for you.
More than half my life I still remember my old teacher
How many people have such deep love?!
I looked at her white hair like the clouds in the sky
Skinny wrapped chicken eggs, bunch of bananas
Suddenly called out: - Miss, don't pack it yet.
It's me, your old student!
When the letter O was round like a chicken egg
The time when the letter C had a hunched back like a banana
The first lesson is ageless.
Support me on every long road.
She looked up, rubbing the corners of her old eyes.
I knelt down and suddenly burst into tears, sobbing:
- Teacher, I feel small.
Before her life in the corner of the poor countryside market!
Dr. Nguyen
PoemOld teacherby author Nguyen Tien Sy made my heart flutter and harmonize from the first time I read the work.
The work is a song of deep gratitude from a former student who returns to visit his teacher in a very cruel situation: the teacher and student become buyers and sellers in the market of life, and then they recognize each other in sobbing.
The poem opens with the image of an old teacher sitting and selling goods in a corner of a rural market. A small, simple corner of the market, but containing many things about life.
With a very detailed view, poet Nguyen Tien Sy has depicted a familiar and familiar scene, but at the same time evokes the hardships and toil that the teacher has to go through in life. The teacher sits there, inviting strangers and acquaintances to “a moldy tray”, “a dozen eggs”, “a bunch of bananas” among the bustling, jostling crowd, but she still seems lonely in the afternoon like an old-fashioned painting:
old teacherohcornerburphallo
Spendmoldy frog, dozen eggsah, nbanana pass
SpendveatburpfishI thinkthrough voh
She vstill sitting inviting strangers, acquaintances.
Reading slowly, we realize that the beauty of the first stanza is not only the realistic descriptions but also the hidden feelings and fate of human life. The reader realizes that the teacher not only sells goods but also sells her own silent days. Behind the image of the woman selling goods is a whole life of silent sacrifice for the noble cause of educating people.
In the second stanza, the appearance of the lyrical character calling himself “you” - a former student - further increases the nostalgia and emotion. The student’s greeting after forty years of separation through dialogue has contributed to awakening the old days. He returned to visit his teacher but because it had been so long, he forgot the old way in and called himself a “displaced person”.
- How much is this, please sell itfor you
Buy as a giftvisit cold school
Bforty yearsfishermanexpatriate
Vtfind her, forget lold roadnoisy
Still not recognizing her former student, the old teacher, despite her difficult life, with her kind heart, did not care about money, and was willing to give it to the kind-hearted guest.
The rhetorical question “How many people have a love as deep as yours?” is full of thought and emotional depth. Perhaps the teacher was thinking of herself, thinking of the many young students she loved and taught in the past.
Through the ironic dialogue, the poet evoked respect and affection for the teacher, who devoted her whole life to sacrificing for many generations of students.
- Unclein theprecious treasurehow
Chyesimageyes, toh, pack it for me
More than nhuhI still remember youold school
Lovehuglike thathow many people are single?!
The moment the student recognizes his old teacher is perhaps the most touching detail in the poem. Seeing her hair turning white like the clouds in the sky, her skinny hands wrapping eggs, bananas…
It was only when he carefully observed these quiet moments that the student recognized his old teacher after forty years apart. Time had faded the youthful features but could not erase those familiar, intimate gestures.
The verses were so sudden and choked up like a feeling of repentance, a belated apology for all the sacrifices and hardships of her life that her former student had never known.
I looked at her hairquietheyHey
Goh goovomitegg gah, nbanana pass
Thexclaimed: - Coh myyesvomitoh
It's me, hreadoh my old friend
After the moment of surprise when recognizing his old teacher, poet Nguyen Tien Sy devoted the fifth stanza to reminiscing about his childhood. This stanza expresses the author’s specific and profound gratitude for his teacher’s teaching. With his sharp ability to associate, the poet uses a suggestive comparison when relating “the round letter O” to “a chicken egg” and “the hunchbacked letter C” to the image of a banana. Those are also the items of merchandise today in the market that she invites everyone to buy. Thanks to that, the poetic image itself creates drama, causes emotion, and the meaning of the poem is also raised more deeply.
Timeletter Olike hellegg gah
Collectin the letter C back clike a ghostbanana girl
Lessonnipplethe vhiddenhe has a monkguava
Step upi love younameevery long way
Closing the poem, seemingly unable to contain his emotions, the lyrical character - the former student in the poem knelt down and burst into tears.
At this point, the reader realizes that the narrative mark in the lyrical work has truly reached its peak, and at the same time is truly unique, because that situation has captivated and moved all of us.
Fishermanyesawlcornermsureah
I amsuddenly fall downbrainbreast enlargement:
Teacher, I'm sorry.that mbaby picturein
Piglifecorner cellburppoor
Overall, the poemOld teacherusing the contrasting structure between real life and memories, between the fading of time and the poet's subtle gratitude. Thanks to that, the poem is not only rich in emotions but also increases the drama, the appeal spreads through each verse and poetic idea. Therefore, the poem both depicts the portrait of the old teacher and helps readers deeply feel the sacred and immortal teacher-student relationship in every person's heart.
TRAN HUYEN