A moment of silence filled with happiness

The theme of the victory on April 30 has become a source of creative inspiration for many artists since 1975. Each author has a different way of exploiting it, but all express the emotion and pride when the country was completely liberated, the North and the South reunited. Ngo The Oanh belongs to the generation of poets during the anti-American period, directly participating in the national resistance war, and chose the right special moment in that sacred period to express his happiness on the joyful day of reunification: "Oh, the joy of all joys / Tears of joy well up" (To Huu). The poem April Silence has thus become a highlight, a unique verse in which the author wants to express the thematic idea, personal feelings mixed with the common joy of the Fatherland.

The poem begins with a feeling, a very unique impression of Ngo The Oanh about the space on the day of victory. Capturing two images of the vast blue sky and rows of tamarinds in the season of changing leaves in the middle of Saigon streets to express the immense joy in everyone's soul. The sky in the moment of total victory is no longer normal but becomes "unusually high and wide". The rows of tamarinds with green color on the roadside create a youthful beauty and sparkling colors like the author's boundless joy. The two poetic images are both vivid and joyful, conveying the exact mood when the poet went to Saigon on the joyful day of liberation: "I have never seen such a sky/ The sky is vast and clear/ Rows of tamarinds in the season of changing leaves/ The young green color shines brightly on the roadside".

The rhythm of the poetic lines is spread out, floating like long strides on the streets. The poetic voice is cheerful, joyful and generous. The poetic images are splendid and fresh like the earth and sky still full of spring. Especially in such a wonderfully clear, high and wide space, the author concentrates his heart to listen to the emotions surging when looking up at the image of the national flag, red for the first time in the middle of Saigon streets, like Uncle Ho's sacred dream: "The flags on the bright red windows/ The flags... I don't know why, but I suddenly burst into tears".

From overflowing happiness to tears is a very real state of mind. In the glorious moment of the day of total victory, the author still does not forget to remember his comrades who passed each other canteens of water to quench their thirst after the face-to-face battles with the enemy. So many people have fallen behind, never to see Saigon, never to see the joy of victory. Now, remembering the warmth of his friend's hand, the poet seems to silently listen to each sacred echo deep in each piece of land where his friend has forever lain: "My comrade, my comrade/ What more can I say in the morning of total victory/ Suddenly feeling the warmth of your hand/ The cool ground under my feet, unable to utter a word".

Yes! That was the emotional silence of April. What to say in this sacred moment, when the ground under your feet seemed to be choking and cold. Continuing that emotional flow, Ngo The Oanh used a series of words "silent" at the beginning of the lines to highlight the poetic idea about the unforgettable moment in the glorious historical moment - the moment the South was completely liberated. From the green trees to the high and wide sky; from the houses on the roofs to the flags in the sun, everything was so silent that it was tearful, even the deep smile in your eyes appeared in your mind. It was the art of repeating the structure of the verse that helped the author express the idea he wanted to express: "The moment the city streets were silent/ The rows of trees were silent/ The sky was silent/ The houses were silent/ The flags were silent in the sun/ The deep smile in your eyes".

Quietly then bursting out, boiling like a rolling tide, like ocean waves in a feeling of great emotion. The author separated the two concluding verses into a separate stanza, compressed and contained, overflowing and bursting forth. It was the great joy of a nation after thirty years of separation, a joy that overflowed and tears streamed down every face. The entire city of Saigon at this moment was like the surface of the sea, bursting with unprecedented vitality, "rolling tides" after the pressure of an explosion: "The moment the city was like the surface of the sea/ Then everything surged up like a rolling tide".

April Silence is a good poem. The first success of the poem is thanks to the author's ability to exploit the unique poetic ideas. Quiet but overflowing, deep but awakening a boundless joy. Tears and thoughts blend with the radiant joy on people's faces. It is the art of contrasts lying deep down that has created a strong temptation since the poem was born on the occasion when the poet entered Saigon to raise the flag of great victory.

LE THANH VAN