The sea and island topics in Vietnamese poetry from the early 21st Century to present

Abstract

The sea and islands are a typical theme in Vietnamese poetry from the beginning of the 21st century to the present. It is poetry imbued with patriotic content. Historical resonance and topicality have blended in 21st-century poetry when reflecting hot events taking place on Vietnam’s beloved islands. Through this, the writer expressed his passionate love, attachment, and determination to preserve his homeland’s territorial waters, expressing resentment against hostile forces through actions that violate our nation’s sovereignty over the sea and islands. At the same time, standing tall in poetry is pride in the tradition of indomitable struggle, of the glorious and heroic pages of history that our ancestors exchanged with tears and blood. From studying the topic of sea and islands in Vietnamese poetry from the beginning of the 21st century to the present, we can comment on and evaluate the national spirit of the authors. Poetry has contributed an important voice to asserting sovereignty over the homeland’s islands and seas.