Analyze how Nguyen Du uses an element of literature to develop a theme in THE TALE OF KIEU - Essay Example

People are compared to some objects belonging to nature and the world around them. This helps to understand the epic better and see the inner soul of its characters. So, if there were no connections between people and nature in The Tale of Kieu, it would not be so readable and interesting for the public. Even the first lines of the text under consideration remind the readers of their dependence upon nature. Thus, Nguyen Du writes that: “Blue Heaven's wont to strike arose from spite. By lamplight turn these scented leaves and read a tale of love recorded in old books” (Du 3).

The first lines of this quotation hint that people live under the sky and it seems to be a living being for them, because only something that can breathe is able to ‘strike’. The major characters of the epic are compared to nature. For example, Chia-Ching had two beautiful daughters whose beauty is described with the help of this comparison. The daughters were named Van and Kieu. The first daughter is compared with flowers, plums, clouds and snow. This is easily proved by the following lines: “her face a moon, her eyebrows two full curves; her smile a flower, her voice the song of jade; her hair the sheen of clouds, her skin white snow” (Du 4).

Another daughter – Kieu has much in common with autumn and spring. Her eyes looked like autumn streams. It was possible to see brows like spring hills above her eyes. Resorting to the use of these comparisons seems to be the best way for the author to describe the beauty of these girls. People are the part of nature; that is why no wonder that Nguyen Du creates the above-mentioned comparisons. It should be noted that people described by the author of The Tale of Kieu seem to live in harmony with nature.

For example, when Nguyen Du gives more information about Kieu and her life, he mentions nature again. The connection between nature and Kieu is proved by the following lines: “She calmly lived behind drawn shades and drapes, as wooers swarmed, unheeded, by the wall. Young grass spread all its green to heaven's rim; some blossoms marked pear branches with white dots” (Du 4). The grass mentioned by Nguyen Du is a symbol. It stands for Kieu’s youth. She is not experienced yet and the most important events in her life are still in the future.

The protagonist likes sun and the earth the same way as grass. They seem to have much in common with each other; that is why it is one of the best images of nature applied by the author of the epic under consideration. The author of the epic resorts to the use of the image of moon very often. In the beginning of The Tale of Kieu it is used in order to describe Van’s appearance. Then, this very image is applied in order to show Kim and Kieu’s love. Why does Nguyen Du decide to use moon one more time?

The moon is not affected by the spots that constantly appear on it. This does not prevent it from shining. The same situation occurs to Kim and Kieu. They love each other despite all the problems and people who are trying to stop them. Moreover, the image of moon occurs when Kim has to look for his beloved. Thus, here the reader may find the following line: “to fall in love, to part, to reunite – both felt mixed grief and joy as rose the moon” (Du 45). In fact, moon always was a symbol of love and romance; however, a few poets resorted to its use in order to describe tragic events.

Nevertheless, it is successfully done by Nguyen Du.