Summary of Doctoral Literature Thesis: Inguistic Style in Han Mac Tu''s Poetic

Research purposes: Surveying and analyzing words and rhetoric measures in Han Mac Tu’s poetry, the thesis establishes the basic points of the author''s poetic linguistic style, identifies core values and evaluates Han Mac Tu’s contributions in Vietnamese poetry in 1932 - 1945 period, contributes to the research and teaching of his poetry from schools to university level.

VINH UNIVERSITY

NGUYEN THI THANH DUC

LINGUISTIC STYLE IN HAN MAC TU’S POETRY

Major: Vietnamese language

Code: 922 01 02

SUMMARY OF DOCTORAL LITERATURE THESIS

NGHE AN - 2021

The thesis is defended before Doctoral Thesis Evaluation Council at University Level

Location: Vinh University

Time: At ……, date ……… month ……… year 2021

The thesis can be found at:

- National Library

- Information Center - Nguyen Thuc Hao Library, Vinh University

INTRODUCTION

1 Reason for choosing the topic

1.1 Studying poetry from a linguistic perspective is a popular approach for a long time, and has gained many remarkable achievements In poetry, language not only shows pure informational content, but itself also has "autonomy", "self-explanatory." Therefore, if the uniqueness of linguistic forms shown through each work is the goal of the poet's striving in composing, it is discovering the uniqueness

of linguistic organization in receiving and evaluating Language is also the decisive factor to understand the contents of poetry

1.2 "Poetic language" is a concept with a very broad connotation In fact, there

is not a common poetic language, but there exists only poetic language belonging to each model, type of composition, of each certain author Each author often has his own living experiences, aesthetic opinion, hobbies, strengths, innermost life and own linguistic vision They contribute in creating unique features of each creative subject The highest level of crystallization of distinctive traits is style Understanding an author's poetic style from a linguistic perspective, therefore, is a really necessary direction to contribute to the study of artistic linguistic styles and to the practice of literary analysis in schools today

1.3 Han Mac Tu is an outstanding face of Vietnamese poetry in the twentieth century In 1932 - 1945 period, there were few poets who, in just a short time, made

a journey to create poetry from classical, through romance, to symbolic, surreal like Han Mac Tu In terms of composition, his poetry is very diverse But no matter how

diverse, it is completely possible to affirm Han Mac Tu’s poetic linguistic style

Studying poetic style of Han Mac Tu, we have in fact contributed to the decoding of his poetic products, thereby promoting the research and teaching of Han Mac Tu’s poetry from high school to university level

That is the reason why we choose the topic Han Mac Tu Poetic Linguistic Style to deploy within the framework of a doctoral thesis

2 Object and scope of the study

2.1 Research subjects

The thesis focuses on surveying and learning to clarify poetic linguistic style of Han Mac Tu on the aspects: vocabulary, some typical vocabulary-semantic fields,

unique choices and words combinations, some outstanding rhetoric measures

2.2 Scope of survey materials

The survey will be conducted on existing materials source of Han Mac Tu’s

poetry These are poems that appeared in the 1932 - 1945 New Poetry - work and

authors volume (collected and introduced by Lai Nguyen An) In addition, we also

surveyed his poetry in volumes: Han Mac Tu - Works, Criticisms and Memorials (Phan Cu De), Han Mac Tu’s Poetry (Che Lan Vien), Han Mac Tu’s Poetry and Life (Lu Huy Nguyen), Han Mac Tu - a poetic life (Thi Long), Han Mac Tu’s Poetry

(Manh Linh)

3 Research purposes and missions

3.1 Research purposes

Surveying and analyzing words and rhetoric measures in Han Mac Tu’s poetry,

the thesis establishes the basic points of the author's poetic linguistic style, identifies core values and evaluates Han Mac Tu’s contributions in Vietnamese poetry in 1932

- 1945 period, contributes to the research and teaching of his poetry from schools to

4 Research methodology

To implement this topic, we use descriptive method, comparison method,

general analysis method, statistical method, systematized method, correlative

analysis method

5 Contribution of the thesis

Through surveying, analyzing and studying words usage and rhetorical measures

in Han Mac Tu’s poetry, the thesis outlines basic features of Han Mac Tu's poetic linguistic style; then contributes a perspective, a way of evaluating the author's poetry

in relation to other typical authors of the 1932-1945 New Poetry Movement

6 Structure of the thesis

In addition to the Introduction, Conclusion, Reference, the thesis is deployed in

3 chapters:

Chapter 1: Overview of research situation and theoretical basis of the topic

Chapter 2: Han Mac Tu’s linguistic style reflected in words usage

Chapter 3: The Han Mac Tu’s linguistic style reflected in the usage of rhetorical

measures

Chapter 1 OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH SITUATION AND THEORETICAL BASIS OF THE TOPIC

1.1 Overview of research situation

1.1.1 Research situation in the author’s linguistic style

It can be said that, up to now, all over the world as well as in Vietnam, there are not many research works on linguistic styles in general and author's linguistic style in particular There is a lack of consensus among linguists in general and Vietnamese linguists on the author's linguistic style, so as of present, there is still no consensus on the concept of author’s linguistic style

1.1.1.1 Overview of research conditions on author’s linguistic style all over the world

One of the pioneering scientists in stylistics research is Ch Bali However, Ch Bali only focuses on studying style in terms of expressive linguistic means only This

thought is reflected in his book - French rhetorical measures Unlike Bali's point of

view, Leo Spitzer wanted to generalize individual style from the facts of works such as: ideology, details, structure, especially language Following the achievements of the pioneers, the authors such as RA Budagov, VV Vinogradov, DE Rozental, PI Dameran, R Levin, S Macus, P Miclau, F Guirand all have contributed into and promoted the development of author’s linguistic style research

1.1.1.2 Overview of research conditions on author’s linguistic style in Vietnam

In Vietnam, there have been a number of articles identifying linguistic styles of

Ho Xuan Huong, Nguyen Du, Ba Huyen Thanh Quan, Xuan Dieu, Nguyen Binh, Nguyen Cong Hoan, Nam Cao, Nguyen Tuan, etc However, seasoned works on author’s style research are still very rare The analysis and explanations mainly focus

on asserting the creativeness and uniqueness of each work, but still lack of deep

judgments on individual style

1.1.2 Research situation of Han Mac Tu’s poetry linguistic style

Among the poets of 1932-1945 New Poetry Movement, Han Mac Tu is the author who receives special attention from researchers Covering most of the articles

on Han Mac Tu poetic language up to now, we find that there are several correction

directions First is the opinions on style characteristics of Han Mac Tu’s poetry (Tran

Thanh Mai, Quach Tan, Hoai Thanh and Hoai Chan, Che Lan Vien, Dang Tien, Do Lai Thuy, Ngo Van Phu, Vuong Tri Nhan, Nguyen Dang Diep, Chu Van Son, etc.)

Second is the opinions on linguistic characteristics of Han Mac Tu’s poetry (Vu Ngoc

Phan, Phan Cu De, Huynh Phan Anh, Vo Long Te, Lai Nguyen An, Phan Huy Dung, Nguyen Quan, etc.) In addition, a number of master thesis and doctoral thesis also choose the issue of Han Mac Tu’s poetic language as research topic, etc These articles and works have been referred by us to conduct our research topic

1.2 Theoretical basis of the topic

1.2.1 Some theoretical issues about linguistic styles

1.2.1.1 Style and stylistics

a Style

Derived from the ancient Greek term slitos, over 2500 years, the concept of style

has been explained in many different ways To clarify different ways of understanding the concept of style, we have looked at the opinions of Phan Ngoc, Diep Quang Ban, Nguyen Thai Hoa, Nguyen Thien Giap, Do Lai Thuy, etc From the

above analyzed concepts, we draw the main features of the concept of style: Firstly, style is always associated with a particular linguistic product Secondly, in order to

achieve style, linguistic products must have its own characteristics and distinctive

signs Thirdly, style is the result of conscious choice rather than random phenomenon

Forthly, the concept of style includes the following contents: era style, functional

style, author style

b Stylistics

Through the explanations of scientists up to now, ignoring certain differences in

expressions, we can give a unified understanding of the concept Stylistics is a part of

the linguistics industry, researching stylistic features of linguistic products through the sense of choice of the subject, expressed in all linguistic means used in communication With such generalizations, stylistics has a very broad connotation,

including both functional styles and individual styles, including all linguistic products that exist in different forms

1.2.1.2 Artistic linguistic style

Artistic linguistic style is a concept that indicates a style in the system of

functional styles (including: living style, artistic style, journalism style, political style,

scientific style, administrative - public service style.) We advocate the contrast

between artistic language and non-artistic language in terms of: the characteristics of

signaling system, social function, systematic, semantic aspect, presence of linguistic means, role for national language to verify the connotation of the concept of artistic

linguistic style

1.2.1.3 Individual linguistic style

Personal style refers to all the basic elements of style that are steadily present in

the works of a certain author, during a certain period of creativeness or in all general creative process of that author; characteristics of words using tactics, structures etc that characterize an individual's spoken or written language Individual linguistic

styles must be considered in terms of: Firstly, individual linguistic styles must manifest in the text itself Secondly, these linguistic elements must emit unique and aesthetic values Thirdly, style has both stability and transformation, which is a

dynamic phenomenon.

1.2.2 Some issues related to individual linguistic styles

1.2.2.1 Expressing individual style through the vocabulary-semantic field in artistic text

Vocabulary field is a concept present in most vocabulary works Vocabulary field itself may not be different among authors and poets, but the practice of words gathered in each author's field has its own unique and different features This depends

on aesthetic ideology, content of works and usage of words In short, analyzing the

functional characteristics of words in fields, we will recognize the author's style

1.2.2.2 Expressing individual linguistic style viewed from two linguistic axes

The horizontal axis in language is the axis expressing the relationship that connects the linguistic units in linear order into larger structural units for communication activities But linguistic activity, especially in poetic creation, is the choice axis (longitudinal axis) is referred on coherent axis (horizontal axis) - according to a famous viewpoint of R Jakobson Therefore, surveying a poet's linguistic style must pay special attention to the usage of language on both axes

1.2.3 Han Mac Tu - poetic life and career

From the perspective of biography, in Vietnam’s modern poetry, rare poets have painful life pages like Han Mac Tu However, with more than ten years of writing, through pen names such as Phong Tran, Le Thanh and finally Han Mac Tu, the poet

has left many works: Le Thanh poems volume (including all poems in Duong’s rules),

Gai Que - Countryside girls (1936, the single volume of poems published at the time

of the author's death), Tho Dien - Crazy poems (or Dau Thuong - Hurt, the poem consists of three volumes: 1 Huong Thom - Fragrance; 2 Mat Dang - Bitter; 3 Mau

Cuong and Hon Dien - Mad Blood and Crazy Soul - 1938), Xuan Nhu Y, Thuong Thanh Khi, Cam Chau Duyen (poem), Duyen Ki Ngo - Meeting fate (poetry play -

1939), Quan tien hoi (poetry play, incomplete - 1940), Choi giua mua trang - Play in

moon season (poem-prose volume) With such works, Han Mac Tu has clearly shown his linguistic style which is both unified and transformed through each type of poetry, each composition, and each stage

1.2.4 Own opinion about poet and poetic creativeness - factor that governs Han Mac Tu's linguistic style

In the consciousness of Han Mac Tu, poets are human beings with special qualities and characteristics Perhaps not a believer has an unusual viewpoint like Han Mac Tu According to him, only the "poetic race" has an extraordinary ability to perceive the beauties of living creatures and the Supreme, worth exalting the praise of God's power He wants poet's soul always as clean as being cleansed in order to suffer the grace of creativeness In Han Mac Tu's poetic concept, we more or less come across his linguistic vision - through poetry creativeness

1.3 Summary of chapter 1

In chapter 1, the thesis summarizes studies of the author’s language, poetry and Han Mac Tu’s poetic language, and in order to establish scientific foundation, the

thesis presents some basic concepts: style, stylistics, artistic style, and individual

linguistic style The above concepts have been explained in order to build a set of

necessary tools for surveying and processing materials in the following chapters The thesis also takes into account two factors that clearly govern Han Mac Tu's poetic

linguistic style: the experience of a traumatic life and a particular concept of the poet

and poetic creativeness From here, it can be seen that the linguistic style is formally

formed, on a viewpoint and in reality of the author's lively compositions

Chapter 2 HAN MAC TU’S POETRY LINGUISTIC STYLE EXPRESSED IN

2.2 Han Mac Tu’s linguistic style expressed through a number of typical vocabulary fields

2.2.1 Vocabulary - semantic field issue

Words in a language never classify into fields by themselves Therefore, field is the research result on vocabulary of scientists Field, as an object of linguistics, does not include the matter of practice When the literary language becomes the research object, fields is really attached to the practice Each vocabulary field in artistic text is the result of the author's creative word choice

2.2.2 Vocabulary field with author’s linguistic style issue

2.2.2.1 Vocabulary field in literary language

Field, as an object of linguistics, does not include the matter of practice When

the literary language becomes the research object, field is really attached to the practice In use, words can change and transform inherent meanings to fit specific elements of each communication activity, in order to achieve the highest communication efficiency How words in artistic creation are used and how effective depend on many factors: topic, theme of works, language capacity, life experiences, writing style of the author Each vocabulary field in artistic text is the result of the author's creative word choice Therefore, studying the author's linguistic style, it is

impossible to ignore vocabulary fields which are deep with own imprints on identity, personality, artistic value and creative meticulousness of the artists

2.2.2.2 Vocabulary field with the author’s linguistic style issue

Considering in a wide range, the new vocabulary field is the place that clearly shows the author's linguistic style Because, a field is a collection of units that have the same contents or express the same objects, thus the vocabulary, artistic view, and different usage of each author can be realized Different authors and poets can share

the same vocabulary - semantic fields For example, the spring field, the love field, the lonely field are not only found in "the prince of love poetry" Xuan Dieu, but also

very popular in New Poetry, appearing in the works of Nguyen Binh, Huy Can, Han Mac Tu, Bich Khe, etc But going into specific survey and analysis, even in one field, the words usage of the authors is not the same That is where the style is reflected

2.2.3 Some vocabulary fields reflecting linguistic style of Han Mac Tu’s poetry

2.2.3.1 Religion - spirituality field

a) Survey results

In Han Mac Tu's compositions, religious vocabulary is scattered in 67/119 poems,

but the poems in two volumes deeply converges religious colors: Xuan Nhu Y and

Thuong Thanh Khi Through survey on 119 poems of Han Mac Tu, we have counted 320

words belonging to the religious vocabulary field In comparison with other poets, Han Mac Tu’s poetry has the highest frequency of religious word appearances This is clearly reflected through comparative statistical results in the table below:

Table 2.2: Religious vocabulary field in Han Mac Tu, Bich Khe,

Xuan Dieu and Nguyen Binh’s poetry

Poet

Total number of poems surveyed

Total number of poems used

Total times of uses

Rate of poems used (%)

Appearan

ce frequency

in poems

Han Mac Tu 119 67 320 56.3 2.7Bich Khe 82 27 84 32.9 1.0Xuan Dieu 90 17 22 18.9 0.2Nguyen Binh 88 19 52 21.6 0.6Based on religion, we continue to divide vocabulary indicating religion in poetry

of the four poets selected in the survey into two groups: Christian and Buddhist

Table 2.3: Sub-field of religious vocabulary in Han Mac Tu, Bich Khe,

Xuan Dieu and Nguyen Binh’s poetry categorized by religion

Religion

Num ber

of turns

Ratio (%)

Num ber

of turns

Ratio (%)

Num ber

of turns

Ratio (%)

Num ber

of turns

Ratio (%)

Christian 189 59 34 40 11 50 5 ten Buddhism 131 41 50 60 11 50 47 90

The statistical results in Table 2.3 show that the number of times using two groups of religious sub-field in Han Mac Tu’s poetry is completely different from the other three poets

b) Expression value

The words of this field can be attributed to the following points: love of God and

Ave Maria from the heart of a pious lamb; the demand of expression and the desire to

be released from factual pain; fantasies and hopes for a better future; fourthly, orienting people to the truth - goodness - beauty.

Total number of poems used

Total number of times using

Rate of poems used

Appearan

ce frequency

in poems

Han Mac Tu 119 98 587 82.4 4.9Bich Khe 82 59 268 72.0 3.3Xuan Dieu 90 82 630 91.1 7.0Nguyen Binh 88 64 543 72.7 6.2

In Table 2.6, we realize that the rate of poems used in Han Mac Tu’s poetry is higher than Nguyen Binh and Bich Khe's poems, only lower than poetry of "king of love poetry" Xuan Dieu Considering the average number of appearances in each poem, this number in Han Mac Tu’s poetry is only higher than Bich Khe However,

an average of 5 turns of love vocabulary per poem reflects the high rate of using this field in Han Mac Tu’s poetry

b) Expression value

Love field in Han Mac Tu’s poetry focuses on expressing the contents: from the

desire of loving and being loved to passionate love; love with grief and separation; love is often mentioned in parallel with death.

2.2.3.3 Human body field

a) Survey results

It can be said that vocabulary field indicating human body in Han Mac Tu’s poetry is very abundant, not fewer than any other poets in New Poetry Movement To clarify that, we have surveyed the words indicating human body in Han Mac Tu’s poetry in comparison with the poems of Nguyen Binh, Xuan Dieu and Bich Khe

Table 2.8: Words indicating human body in Han Mac Tu, Bich Khe, Xuan Dieu,

and Nguyen Binh’s poetry

Poet

Total number of poems surveyed

Total number of poems used

Total number of times using

Rate of poems used

Appearan

ce frequency

in poems

Han Mac Tu 119 87 307 73.1 2.6Bich Khe 82 59 339 72.0 4.1Xuan Dieu 90 74 306 82.2 3.4Nguyen Binh 88 53 248 60.2 2.8Not considering the usage, the numbers in the above statistical table partly reveals the selection of the class of words referring to human body in composing of four typical pens in New Poetry