TỈNH THỨC VÀ CỨU CHUỘC TRONG THƠ TÌNH MIỀN NAM 1954 – 1975

Abstract

The period from 1954 to 1975 constitutes a historically distinct epoch in Vietnam, marked by national division and the South's transformation into a focal point of intense political, cultural, and social turbulence. This sociohistorical context profoundly shaped the positionality and creative consciousness of Southern writers, resulting in the emergence of a rich diversity of literary tendencies. Alongside the dominant poetic modes of resistance, nationalism, anti-war, and protest, romantic poetry, also flourished, marked by a wide array of expressive voices. Representative figures include Nguyên Sa, Nguyễn Tất Nhiên, Phạm Thiên Thư, Cung Trầm Tưởng, Đinh Hùng, and Du Tử Lê, among others. This article explores two key spiritual dimensions in their love poetry: awakening and redemption. These reflect a deep awareness of love’s fragility, the limits of human agency, and the transience of life, while also presenting love as a redemptive force and poetry as a means of reaching for beauty in a turbulent world.