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VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES NGUYEN NHU TRANG THE AESTHETIC SYSTEM IN NGUYEN CONG TRU’S COMPOSITIONS Major: Vietnamese Literature Major code: 9.22.01.21 SUMMARY OF THE DOCTORAL DISSERTATION IN LITERATURE Hanoi - 2023 The dissertation completed at Graduate Academy of Social Sciences, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences Supervisor: Assoc Prof Dr Nguyen Huu Son Reviewer 1: Prof Dr Trần Ngọc Vương Reviewer 2: Assoc Prof Dr Nguyễn Thanh Tùng Reviewer 3: Assoc Prof Dr Lê Thời Tân The dissertation will be defended at Graduate Academy Level Council of dissertation assessment at the Graduate Academy of Social Sciences Time: ………… date ……… month …… …year 2023 The dissertation may be found at: - Vietnam National Library; - Graduate Academy of Social Sciences Library INTRODUCTION The necessity of the research topic Studying the aesthetic system in literature is an academic issue because the analysis and interpretation of the rule and evolution of factors such as aesthetic subjects, aesthetic objects, conceptions, and trends in the composition will contribute to comprehensively assessing the works and literary career of the author In the late 18th century and the first half of the 19th century, the literature marked the names of many great authors, in which, their aesthetic conceptions had a significant influence on writers and poets later Nguyen Cong Tru is a writer with his own unique voice and style of composition He has composed many different genres, each genre has outstanding value in both ideological content and artistic poetics His works have also partly expressed the thought, aspirations and pursuits of individuals in contemporary social life The beauty of literary works comes from both form and content In which thought, conceptions and artistic composition trends are expressions of content and form, and also an expression of the beauty in literary works Examining the aesthetic system in Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions will contribute to clarifying themes and major ideological and artistic characteristics, aesthetic characteristics, content values and artistic values in his works Examining “The aesthetic system in Nguyen Cong Tru’s Compositions” will contribute a scientific voice in discovering and understanding Nguyen Cong Tru’s literature from an aesthetic perspective It also aims to solve a scientific issue with both theoretical and practical significance in researching and teaching literature today Research purpose and tasks 2.1 Research purpose The dissertation surveys Nguyen Cong Tru’s composition career in order to clarify the beauty of the aesthetic subject, aesthetic object and the harmonious beauty between hướng tâm hành đạo and ly tâm hành lạc, thenceforth, it highlights the artistic values, the good, and the beauty in the content of his thought and literary art 2.2 Research tasks Collecting materials and surveying Nguyen Cong Tru’s published works Systematizing and learning aesthetic elements in Nguyen Cong Tru's compositions from an aesthetic perspective Analyzing the expression of the aesthetic subject in Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions Analyzing the expression of the aesthetic objects in Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions Analyzing the aesthetic harmony between hướng tâm hành đạo and ly tâm hành lạc in Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions Research subject and scope 3.1 Research subject The research subject of the dissertation is some basic issues of the aesthetic system in Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions such as the expression of the aesthetic subject, the expression of the aesthetic object, the harmony between hướng tâm hành đạo and ly tâm hành lạc 3.2 Research scope In terms of materials, the study surveys Nguyen Cong Tru’s published works so far In addition, the dissertation also refers to and inherits research works and evaluations of his literary career and himself In terms of content, the dissertation mainly focuses on issues related to the aesthetic system in Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions Research methods The dissertation uses the following methods: the method of author biography research, comparative method, typological method, and interdisciplinary research method It also uses literary analysis, statistics, and classification New contributions of the dissertation The dissertation provides the theoretical basis of issues related to aesthetics, beauty, and the aesthetic system and the basis for conducting research on the aesthetic system in Nguyen Cong Tru’s literature By reviewing literature, absorbing Nguyen Cong Tru’s research results and all of his literary compositions The dissertation systematizes and analyzes the expression of the aesthetic subject through Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions including strong spirit, undaunted bravery and heart for the country and for the people, liberty and a broad-minded heart The dissertation also mentions the expression of aesthetic objects in Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions such as heaven, land, country, trees, flowers, wind, moon, and finite time of human life The dissertation clarifies the aesthetic harmony between the two behavioral tendencies that are “hướng tâm hành đạo” and “ly tâm hành lạc” through analysis and interpretation: the aspiration for position and fame, and the philosophy of leisure, will to masculinity and polygamy; carry out the entire morality of king and servants, and arrogant attitude Basically, the dissertation systematizes all of Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions from an aesthetic perspective, since then contributing to clarifying ideas, conceptions, and aesthetic tendencies in literature, at the same time, it helps to have a fuller awareness of human beings and his compositions in the process of studying and teaching literature at different levels Theoretical and practical significance of the dissertation Theoretically, the dissertation clarifies the connotation of terms and concepts related to aesthetics, the aesthetic system in literature, life, and career, as well as the situation of studying thought and art through Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions Practically, the dissertation contributes to the recognition and evaluation of Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions from an aesthetic perspective By analyzing aesthetic factors, the dissertation contributes to further clarifying the value of content, artistic value, and thought in his literature Examining the aesthetic system in Nguyen Cong Tru’s composition helps to better understand the author himself and his literature in the process of studying and teaching literature Structure of the dissertation Besides the introduction and conclusion, the dissertation includes chapters Chapter 1: Literature Review Chapter 2: The expression of the aesthetic subject in Nguyen Cong Tru's compositions Chapter 3: The expression of aesthetic objects in Nguyen Cong Tru's compositions Chapter 4: Aesthetic harmony between “hướng tâm hành đạo” and “ly tâm hành lạc” in Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions Chapter LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 Theoretical basis 1.1.1 Aesthetics and esthetics Aesthetics and esthetics have a close relationship Aesthetics is a science that studies esthetics Examining aesthetics aims to clarify the rule of formation and nature of esthetics through categories of aesthetics that have been formed in life, literature, and art Examining aesthetics will become a useful approach to deciphering the esthetic aspects in literary works by a particular rule Examining the aesthetic system in literature from the perspective of aesthetics is essentially the discovery and understanding of conceptions, aspects, matters, and esthetic factors in literary works This helps to identify aesthetic trends of creative subjects (authors, writers) and points out the social and artistic functions of the work, as well as seeing the thought and artistic style of the author This approach helps to detect and decipher matters related to the aesthetic system in the literature 1.1.2 The conception of beauty and the basis for studying the aesthetic system in Nguyen Cong Tru's compositions In the history of Western and Eastern aesthetic thought, beauty is the central and earliest-appearing esthetic category that was discussed the most No matter how we look at it, aesthetic object or subject, beauty plays a dominant role in all aesthetic relationships of human beings with the surrounding reality The aesthetic system includes aesthetic elements, aesthetic categories, aesthetic conceptions, the expression of aesthetic subjects and objects, and aesthetic composing trends By determining the value and meaning of these elements, readers can feel the beauty in the writer's thoughts and writing style The dissertation explores the aesthetic system in Nguyen Cong Tru's compositions from an aesthetic perspective in order to point out the good and the beauty in his thought and literary trends Through compositions, that system is the expression of the aesthetic subject and object, and the aesthetic harmony between hướng tâm hành đạo and ly tâm hành lạc 1.2 Research situation on Nguyen Cong Tru’s poetry 1.2.1 Research situation on Nguyen Cong Tru’s thought through compositions Historically, so far there have been nearly centuries of studying Nguyen Cong Tru There are many important achievements in collecting, surveying texts and researching his poetry and literature Issues related to his career, thought, and contributions in aspects of composition have been analyzed and confirmed by researchers The first work is “Career and Poetry of Uy Viễn Tướng công Nguyễn Công Trứ” by Le Thuoc published in 1928 This can be considered the first fundamental document and book on Nguyen Cong Tru’s life and composition Next are typical works such as “Nguyen Cong Tru’s Poetry” by Le Thuoc, Hoang Ngoc Phach & Truong Chinh, published in 1958; “Nguyen Cong Tru’s Psychology and Thought” by Nguyen Bach Khoa; “Person, Life and Poetry”, conference proceedings on famous person Nguyen Cong Tru (1994, Nguyen Du school and University of Culture), in which there are many articles referring to Nguyen Cong Tru’s thought Nguyen Cong Tru’s wandering poetry with the world ‘peaceful’ by Pham Vinh Cu (1994) in the book “Nguyen Cong Tru: the author and work” In this work, Pham Vinh Cu discussed the content and the word “hành lạc” of this famous poet The work titled On individual person in Ancient Vietnamese Literature (1997) by many authors discussed quite thoroughly Nguyen Cong Tru and his poetry In the article Hát nói Nguyen Cong Tru (1995), researcher Nguyen Duc Mau affirmed that a “conceited and amorous personality” is the most obvious character in Nguyen Cong Tru’s Hát nói (singing while speaking) Type of literary author: Talanted Confucian and Vietnamese Literature by Tran Ngoc Vuong (1995) appreciated Nguyen Cong Tru in many aspects and considered him as one of 11 talented Confucian of Vietnamese literature In 2002, Nguyen Viet Ngoan published the work Nguyen Cong Tru “Roaming the world and wandering at ease: Nguyen Cong Tru’s poetic vision of becoming a fully developed human being” by Van Phu Quang (2001), doctoral dissertation in philosophy, University of Oregon (USA) This work discussed concepts of philosophy such as aesthetics, esthetics in the conception of poetry in general, the conception of Confucianism and Taoism; metaphors for journeys to understand Nguyen Cong Tru’s conception of the human process “Nguyen Cong Tru: about the author and his work” by Tran Nho Thin (2003) has gathered quite full of typical articles, exchanges, and comments to provide a system of material sources, the most basic achievements in understanding Nguyen Cong Tru’s poetic career in the 19th and 20th century “Nguyen Cong Tru – what must have the Position to Mountain and River” by Nguyen Huu Son in the book Medieval Vietnamese Literature – human conception and development process, 2005, has emphasized the image of an individual person in Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions The unity of opposites in Nguyen Cong Tru’s artistic style by Bien Minh Dien (2006) has contributed to mentioning Nguyen Cong Tru’s basic artistic ideas around the proposition of masculinity with the debts that a scholar has to pay such as mortgage debt, position and fame debt, debts after death, and life debt In 2008, the 230th birthday and 150th anniversary of Nguyen Cong Tru's death, Doan Tu Huyen (editor) published a massive work “Nguyen Cong Tru in the history line” The book has gathered all the works of Nguyen Cong Tru, along with many works, articles, and anecdotes about this author A conference proceeding on Nguyen Cong Tru and the founding of the nation (2018) includes many articles and papers referring to Nguyen Cong Tru’s life, career, and thought Notably, the article titled Nguyen Cong Tru from the aesthetic perspective – the sublime by Nguyen Ai Hoc This article has discussed the thought of the poet with the surname Nguyen in literature from an aesthetic perspective through the sublime category “Free Thought of the Ages” by Dang Duy Bau in a conference proceeding on Nguyen Cong Tru with the history and culture of Vietnam in the first half of the 19th century, has discussed the liberal thought of Confucian Nguyen Cong Tru Hướng tâm and ly tâm composing trend in Nguyen Cong Tru’s poetry by Nguyen Huu Son, has affirmed “hướng tâm” and “ly tâm” composing trend is clearly shown by the system of sociopolitical viewpoints, the aesthetic system, themes, personality, and individual person of Nguyen Cong Tru Research works on Nguyen Cong Tru’s thought have provided quite enough his life and career, thereby contributing to helping readers better understand era, family, individual person, thought, writing style, content and artistic value in Nguyen Cong Tru’s literature 1.2.2 Research situation on art in Nguyen Cong Tru's compositions The works referring to art in Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions such as Vietnam ca trù biên khảo by Do Bang Doan & Do Trong Hue (1994), Nguyen Cong Tru and hát nói by Tran Dinh Huou (1995) Some thinking about lyrical ego in Nguyen Cong Tru’s Nom Poetry by Tran Manh Tien; Han Nom document on Nguyen Cong Tru’s life and career by Dinh Khac Thuan & Duong Van Khoa; Nguyen Cong Tru – The Prince of Hát nói by Nguyen Viet Ngoan (2001) Hát nói Poetry in the Past and Present by Hoai Yen & Nguyen Xuan Dien (2003) These works have mainly referred to Nơm and hát nói poetry with unique characteristics in terms of genre and most clearly expressed the thought, feelings, and style of poet Nguyen Cong Tru There have been many research works on thought and art in Nguyen Cong Tru's compositions, however, the issue of the aesthetic system has not been mentioned directly and systematically expressing his will and action such as “rush into danger”, “trying”, “clarifying”, “acting freely”, “rạch mũi Can Tương”, “repressing” The scholar’s image in Nguyen Cong Tru’s poetry was self-aware and confidently declared that he enjoyed “the treasures” of heaven and earth The well-founded and proud statement of a manly man about position and fame as a guiding principle to remind himself of a man’s role In his works, readers not see the image of a pessimistic, small, and meaningless person in front of heaven and earth Instead of this, it is an image of a tall man who is always optimistic and believes in the quality and talents of “living as a hero” Contemporaneous Confucianists often modestly, profoundly, and discreetly reveal their talents and goals, Nguyen Cong Tru frankly and eloquently stated his personal opinions, especially scholar’s aspiration for honor and career The strong, unshakable, and brave spirit of the hero in his composition has become an aesthetic beauty Such spirit and bravery are expressed by talent, determination, steadfastness, stronger will, and never subdue 2.2 Heart for the country and for the people Practicing religion is an active incarnation spirit, the individual person in Nguyen Cong Tru's compositions is imbued with orthodox Confucian thought, and always cherishing the desire to make position and fame, career to fulfill the responsibility of a manly man, useful things for the country and the people, and to fully implement the spirit of “vi tử vi thần”, “trí quân trạch dân” That is a man of mettle with the will to be a Mandarin, interested in political life and the dynasty’s prosperity; entering into religious practice to bring his talents and intelligence to serve the King and the Court, as well as making glorious feats to save his name forever This conception has gathered all of his thoughts for a humane heart From an aesthetic perspective, this conception is not only in the category of beauty but also in the category of the sublime in his thought and literature In his career as a Mandarin as well as literature, the Confucian Nguyen Cong Tru clearly showed up his direction and unified behavior he chose that 11 is, for the people and for the country In fact, he was not only talented in fighting against the enemy to keep the land and people safe but he also “eagerly manifested his economic talent” to help people to reclaim land in many different provinces The scholar’s heart for the country and the people is not only expressed through his desire for fame and great will but also through his criticism of injustices in society All of the things mentioned above are reflected quite clearly in his compositions, contributing to the beauty of the aesthetic subject 2.3 Freedom and broad-mindedness The individual person’s image in Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions is not only freedom and broad-mindedness in action but also inner freedom and independence, allowing oneself to be comfortable and happy to live with his own desires The scholar’s image in his poetry is always free-spirited and acting continuously and ultimately to overcome challenges and difficulties, directing himself to free and open space to dedicate and enjoy Readers always feel the scholar’s joy and passion in practicing religion and delight in the actions and pleasures of the scholar The beauty of freedom, he always wants to be the aesthetic subject himself that has created a unique personality, a very ordinary “ego” of the scholar in Nguyen Cong Tru’s poetry This opens up another direction for the character “me” to satisfy personal aspirations in the feudal Confucian cultural environment The scholar considers freedom a great value, no material possessions can be bought, so he always seeks to overcome challenges to look for free space for himself and to be himself Nguyen Cong Tru often wrote poetry in the ca trù mode, this is a type of poetry under the songs and depending on the rhythm of the drum, rich in melody, it does not need to sing but read-only also make a comfortable, free, excited and strong This is quite suitable for his personality and broad-minded style 12 Sub-summary of chapter The aesthetic subject in Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions has both the appearance and style of an orthodox Confucianist with a strong, unshakable, and brave spirit, with the idea of trí quân trạch dân and the desire to make position and fame, career, and leaving reputation forever; also has the style of talented Confucian with freedom and broad-mindedness This has made a distinctive feature in his person and compositions Chapter THE EXPRESSION OF AESTHETIC OBJECTS IN NGUYEN CONG TRU’S COMPOSITIONS From an aesthetic perspective, the dissertation mentions the expression of the aesthetic object in Nguyen Cong Tru’s composition through his perception of the beauty of things, phenomena in reality and in his imagination according to the poet’s aesthetic conceptions including heaven and earth and the country; trees, flowers, wind, and moon; finite time of human life These elements are common in his literature, creating unity and symbolism, often associated with cultural memories or expressing the poet’s conception of life 3.1 Heaven and Earth, and the country According to Confucianism’s conception, heaven created all things and all species Heaven is also known as God - the Supreme Beings represent impartialness and justice The opposite of heaven is the earth where humans and all things were born and survived Eastern people always attach great importance to the close relationship between man and heaven and earth, so since ancient times, in the folk opinion, “clement weather, favorable terrain and concord among the people” are the necessary and sufficient conditions for success The harmony of man with heaven and earth will be the survival and development of all things 13 In medieval literature, heaven, earth, and man were always linked and had a dialectical relationship with each other Heaven and earth have become an aesthetic symbol that is repeated many times and has a derivative meaning On the one hand, heaven and earth represent the social space where the scholar acts freely On the other hand, heaven and earth also present the psychological space, expressing the poet’s state and feelings about life With such meanings, the image of heaven and earth has been associated with the behavior and mood of poet Nguyen Cong Tru during his tumultuous life In Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions, heaven and earth have a very clear shape, symbolizing the vast space of life, they are visible and invisible It is a place where people can satisfy their contributions and where the scholar fulfills his aspirations, develop talents, and satisfies the needs of coming into the world and beginning the world Poet Nguyen Cong Tru believed that people were born to be precious, they survive in the natural world and vast universe, they must something to leave their name in the world This comes from attitude of the scholar who wishes to begin the world, bring his talent and wisdom to make a name for himself and make a great career to help the people and the world; associate his position with the noble mission that heaven, earth, and universe have given to the talent and the hero Heaven and Earth are an immense realm and the living environment of all things in the world Heaven and Earth are also cultural and spiritual spaces, containing people's feelings, beliefs, and aspirations about the supernatural world Poet Nguyen Cong Tru discussed heaven and earth by integrating with people, sometimes Heaven and Earth are just an excuse for him to express his mood toward the reality of life rather than a description of it as what happens in objective reality The mountain with its height is the end of the ground to the sky, the river is a natural stream of water that gives life to people and species From 14 people’s feelings in reality to the literature of the poet Nguyen Cong Tru, the image of the country, mountains, and rivers has frequently appeared and become a scholar’s symbol who wishes to make position and fame, and career Mountains and rivers represent material values of nature and spiritual values of human beings The country is a spiritual fulcrum and a space symbolizing the scholar’s steadfast will, and a space containing the scholar’s spirit to the times In the poet’s aesthetic conception, the country is a surviving space to be handed down the scholar’s name, it's not just a space that existed in the sense but also a measure of human values and a space containing the poet’s feelings and motivation for striving a great cause As such, aesthetic elements in Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions, “Heaven and Earth” and “the country” are aesthetic objects that represent a large space – it is not just a natural space but also a social space where the scholar can “rule the roost freely” to satisfy his great aspirations 3.3 Trees, flowers, wind, and moon The image of trees appears commonly in Nguyen Cong Tru’s literature, they are not only described as existing in real life but also the symbolic beauty of the scholar’s personality The pine tree has become a great symbol in Eastern culture for many generations and a symbol of an upright, honest, temperamental, indomitable person who dares to face up to dangers and challenges in life Through Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions, the pine tree’s image appears in relation to people’s emotions and states, expressing the human meaning and noble quality of man, more specifically, the gentleman’s dignity in feudal society From the pine tree’s image, the poet looked back on human life to reality The pine tree becomes an ideal model of a true scholar who wants to find a more spacious and open space that allows people to freely devote, enjoy themselves, and not be bound by complex social relationships 15 The areca tree’s image is considered an aesthetic object with beauty symbolizes the scholar’s strong mettle with a steady mind of a man who always believes in his own ability and daring to overcome all challenges The poet saw human characteristics of the areca tree that is a family atmosphere The areca tree has many fruits symbolizing the image of a noble family with many children and grandchildren, and having a warm and happy life The author also personified the image of vông, an inanimate object that becomes a human subject, referring to people, the older they get, the more likely they are to become disabled, people who have been corrupted their personality, they are more and more cunning designs In Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions, people, flowers and natural things have a harmonious relationship The image of flowers symbolizes the beauty of nature and women Flowers have colorful beauty, sometimes he considers flowers as a friend, an old flame that more than once he has come to send his hope The poet describes flowers and to be touched by the beauty of flowers because the flowers represent the beauty of a beautiful woman and the messengers of love When coming to the natural world of flowers, the poet's soul is richer and more optimistic Flowers themselves have inspired his talented individual to find out the beauty of life and the meaning of human life The images of wind, moon, and flowers in Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions have a simple beauty, they are described by simple, unfussy language Nguyen Cong Tru used poems to describe them ingeniously and emotionally The images associated with vivid and unique nature because of the simplicity, familiarity and closeness that have contributed to bringing a peaceful, quiet and pure life to the scholar, and have become unique artistic symbols repeated many times by the poet, creating a continuous movement in his poems 16 3.3 Finite time of human life As an aesthetic object in Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions, a period of “Ba vạn sáu nghìn ngày” (Thirty-six thousand days) is both realistic and approximate From the perspective of artistic symbolism, “Thirty-six thousand days” represents the lifespan of each person and also the poet’s thought and feelings about life and human survival in human life In Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions, awareness of a person’s lifespan is a sense of life to be short and narrow For him, that time does not pass spontaneously, it is frozen and can be measured in every moment whether it is time to engage in religious practice or to enjoy pleasure, leisure, and rural pleasure It’s not by chance that the poet mentioned many times “Thirty-six thousand days” or a hundred years (10 times in his compositions, times in a total of 60 hát nói) This is really an obsession about human life is flying very fast the poet felt each day, each hour, and moment of life The poet always questions the finiteness of human life with an attitude and dedication that are very extremely exciting by an optimistic gentleman who lives among heaven, earth, and a vast universe The scholar feels that time is always flying because each person only has a certain lifespan In order to win time and coexist with time, people force to act and make glorious feats, and must create a famous career, if so, though it takes much time, the gentleman does not regret and feel meaningless in his life Sub-summary of chapter The expression of aesthetic objects in Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions is shown through, forming a flexible structure with continuous movement in the poet’s creative ability and multi-dimensional sense of life The artistic images also contain rich derivative meanings, creating a multi-meaning while creating It is consistent with the author’s own aesthetic perspective on Eastern cultural life The aesthetic object’s images such as a period of “Thirty-six thousand days”, heaven and earth, the country, flowers, wind, and moon are beautiful 17 because they are familiar, close, vivid, and unique They not only give the scholar a source of vital energy and motivation but also a space for people to express their moods From the aesthetic object’s image, readers can really feel an individual person’s ego with natural and vibrant beauty but very peremptoriness in Nguyen Cong Tru’s poems Chapter AESTHETIC HARMONY BETWEEN HƯỚNG TÂM ĐẠO AND LY TÂM HÀNH LẠC IN NGUYEN CONG TRU’S COMPOSITIONS According to Confucian opinion, “hướng tâm hành đạo” is the work of supporting the king, helping the country, and serving the court’s institution Confucianists who follow “hướng tâm” tendency often glorify upright king and virtuous mandarins, responding to orders and following the basic rules in social relations with the norm of “three moral bonds and five constant virtues” (tam cương ngũ thường), the morals of the political system considers Confucianism as the main ideology “Ly tâm” tendency refers to the change and movement from the heart to another side In Confucianism, ly tâm is a non-traditional trend, getting out of the bonds of social and moral relationships that are deeply rooted in the scholar’s mind to affirm his ego and personality The emergence of ly tâm mentality leads to a tendency of ly tâm in literature, it's out of the orthodoxy, even surpassing the limits defined in Confucian etiquette to satisfy the needs and aspirations of individuals Hướng tâm hành đạo ly tâm hành lạc in Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions, on the surface, seem to be two creative trends that not match and even contradict each other Rearwards, however, it has harmony and unity This stems from the aesthetic conception in his literature 18 4.1 Aspiring to position and fame, and philosophy of enjoying leisure Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions have poems expressing the poet’s meditation and concerns about the way of the world (thế thái nhân tình) and also have many poems supporting hành lạc and wishing for leisure of a real Confucian In addition to being a scholar who wishes to dedicate and act, he is also a gentleman with the expression of an individual person enjoying leisure and knowing how to enjoy The poet discussed position and fame in the posture of a scholar who always aspires to make a career He set up the position of a man in heaven and earth, and the universe by marking position and fame In his compositions, he repeatedly mentioned position and fame like a debt to life This expresses the bravery and aspiration of the talented person who wants to great and useful things for the court, the country, the nation, and the man’s satisfaction For the trend of compositions of hướng tâm hành đạo, there is always the image of a positive and passionate person who works so hard with his inherent roles and talents In addition to the image of the aesthetic subject with the aspiration of making position and fame, and enthusiasm for dedication and devotion, there is also a scholar’s image with a philosophy of enjoying leisure and wish to leisure For poets, enjoying leisure is to express the spirit of joy and cling to life; living a happy life, keeping a refreshing spirit is an indispensable need that everyone should have in life When the scholar is no longer bound by fame and wealth, he often comes to nature to share his innermost feelings This seems to be the opposite but it is consistent with a multidimensional personality, always wants to show personal ego in all circumstances and all amusements of the man 4.2 Chí nam nhi (the will of masculinity) and amorous habit In Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions, “the will of masculinity” is a quite prominent clause, expressing the will of a hero, a man, and a gentleman “Chí” means the will, aspiration, ambition, and talent of the man The will of 19 masculinity put in relation to the universe, heaven and earth, the country, to be well-matched with heroes and famous people in history With a desire to the will of masculinity, even in real life and literature, Confucian Nguyen Cong Tru never stopped worrying about his own responsibility and the scholar’s responsibility When the ideal is not fulfilled, it likes being in a debt that has not been paid off The poetry expresses the image of amorous person who has a liberal and amateur ego to be considered a unique piece in Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions In the broadest sense, amorousness is rich in sentiment and emotion The poet mainly talks about amorousness with the meaning of a feeling of love between men and women, and more broadly, it is the passion for the beauty of women Although it is still limited to the love of talented boys and pretty girls, the poet appreciates and respects love Having a passion for singing “ả đào” is also the most obvious expression of “talent” and “love” of the lyrical subject Enjoying the singing and admiring the beauty of the female singers makes the poet’s soul is always young This contributes to the inspiration of literature, leisure, and dedication Some hát nói of Nguyen Cong Tru have reached the pinnacle of the genre He had great merit in raising “hát nói” into poetry Through hát nói, he found a useful means to express his unique personality that was unlike any author in medieval Vietnamese literature: a most talented person with a strong masculinity expression, besides being an amorous person and the expression of the amateur, liberal ego 4.3 Implement the moral principle of the king and servants, arrogant and ecstatic attitude According to Confucian opinion, the moral principle of king and servants, also known as loyalty, represents the close relationship between the king and servants, father and son The moral principle of the king and servants has strict rules and greatly affects personality and fate of the servants, it had 20 deeply rooted in each Confucian’s thinking Nguyen Cong Tru’s literature and life did not have a good message or any implications that violated the moral principle of the king and servants He appreciated and mentioned it many times in many different ways, as the scholar’s guideline to his superiors: “gánh trung hiếu”, “đạo vi tử vi thần”, “chữ cương thường”, “chữ quân thân” Implementing reponsibility of “trí quân trạch dân” is the scholar’s aspiration and means to exercise the goal of fame, expressing talent and “playing” with the scholar’s life It is also a way for the Confucian Nguyen Cong Tru to affirm his personal talent to life The implementation of the moral principle of the king and servants has become an obsession for masculinity because it is a behavioral principle of servants to the king and the court, and a principle to guarantee his own safety In literature, Confucian Nguyen Cong Tru showed up himself through elegant hobbies, more audaciously, it is enjoying beauty and love He raised his conception of hành lạc to a philosophy through his new perception of life, society and people All of these aspects show up an arrogant attitude in his person, his personality is stronger than the ones and somewhat unlike the others Showing up the person who keeping the moral principle of the king and servants, and the arrogant and ecstatic attitude of the scholar are two opposite sides but create a harmonious aesthetic beauty in his compositions Sub-summary of chapter Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions clearly interpret the poet’s personal style His literature not only heightens the tendency of hướng tâm hành đạo but also praises the tendency of ly tâm hành lạc The image of people withdrawing from the official place to hide in nature and enjoy the daily pleasures and hobbies that appear naively and simply but also have the dignity and respectable character of a Confucian In his aesthetic conception, Nguyen Cong Tru accelerates aspiration for fame and masculinity and implements the moral principle of the king and 21 servants but he also passionates pleasure Readers need to have an objective view of his thought because such thought was derived from the sociohistorical situation at that time For the Confucian, there is a harmonious combination of two aspects: eagerness to start out in life and looking for leisure and enjoyment The seemingly contradictory aspects of the poet’s personality are actually just different manifestations of the same personality, it is “the movement from one antipole to the others" due to the influence of objective circumstances CONCLUSION Aesthetics is a science that studies esthetics Among the categories of aesthetics, beauty is the most basic, central, and earliest-appearing category Researching, surveying, and comparing a literary phenomenon from an aesthetic perspective is a new and interesting direction, especially in the case of poet Nguyen Cong Tru - a special character in the history of medieval literature in Vietnam Exploring the aesthetic system in his compositions comes from categories, concepts, and expressions of aesthetic subject, aesthetic object, and aesthetic trends From a literary perspective, the aesthetic system in Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions considers the expression of the aesthetic subject, aesthetic object, and aesthetic harmony between the creative tendency of hướng tâm hành đạo and ly tâm hành lạc The above expressions have all contributed to highlighting the beauty and sublime in Nguyen Cong Tru’s thought and individual person In Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions, through the expression of the aesthetic subject, readers may see the image of a man - a scholar who has a strong, eminent spirit but also leisure, freedom, and broad-mindedness, not pessimistic and sad of poverty or small position Confucian or scholar devoted himself, for the country and the people but he also lived very honestly with his ego Regardless of the circumstances, in real life or in 22 poetry, the poet Nguyen Cong Tru always enjoyed the taste of life with an incarnated and proactive spirit The expression of the aesthetic object in Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions is quite diverse, he regularly and continuously created aesthetic images, this creates unity and has high artistic value Symbolic images such as heaven and earth, the country, trees, flowers, and finite time of human life “Thirty-six thousand days” have permeated the work’s depth that often associated with cultural memories or expressing the poet’s conception of life On the one hand, Nguyen Cong Tru created images, on the other hand, he he revived traditional symbolic images The aesthetic system in Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions is a harmonious combination between the creative tendency of hướng tâm hành đạo and ly tâm hành lạc For the tendency of hướng tâm hành đạo, he would like to dedicate his life to the country and the nation and wanted to affirm the ego of a person who is always aware of his economic talents For the tendency of ly tâm hành lạc, he revealed the entire individual’s identity – a new viewpoint, a revelation is different from his era Through poetry and literature, Nguyen Cong Tru mentioned a lot of talented, passionate, amorous scholars, arrogant and ecstatic attitude of a free and leisurely individual Ly tâm hành lạc has made a unique resonance where antipoles in literature are interleaved flexibly and naturally This helps readers to imagine a type of literary author who has both the image of a Confucian practicing religion and the image of an amateur Confucian in medieval literature Individual person’s image clearly appears in Nguyen Cong Tru’s works with his unique and strange literary career, reflecting the process of lifetime dedication, self-improving, and making fame of the scholar Nguyen Cong Tru is a Confucian but also an individual with a strong personality, he not only wants to assert himself by fame but also wants to enhance the meaning of life with leisure and pleasures From a Confucian perspective, in Nguyen Cong Tru’s literature, the scholar is a special case where there is a flexible 23 combination of three types of Confucian in the history of Vietnamese Confucianism A Confucian practices religion and an amateur Confucian, and is also a reclusive Confucian Placing in the general development trend of the contemporary humanitarian movement, it is more and more obvious that Nguyen Cong Tru had fully practiced the mission, responsibility and moral of a man in the feudal society, and reached a deep sense of individuality, the right to express his will and pleasure in life This leads to Nguyen Cong Tru’s ecstatic and amorous image with the ideal and multifaceted beauty 24 THE AUTHOR’S PUBLISHED-PAPERS LIST Nguyen Nhu Trang (2008), “Nguyen Cong Tru’s individual person through hát nói genre”, Letters and Arts Form Magazine, No 167, December 2008, pp 39-42 Nguyen Nhu Trang (2018), “Thirty-six thousand days – the aesthetic notion about human lifespan in Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions”, National Conference Proceedings on Nguyen Cong Tru and career of establishing his position in life and founding the state, Social Sciences Publishing House, pp 374-384 Nguyen Nhu Trang (2019), “Category of fame in Nguyen Cong Tru’s conception”, Letters and Arts Forum Magazine, No 293, June 2019, pp 14-18 Nguyen Nhu Trang (2019), “The symbol of heaven and earth in Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions”, Review of Vietnamese Social Science, No 6, pp 98-104 Nguyen Nhu Trang (2019), “The symbol of the country in Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions”, Central Vietnamese Review of Social Science, No 6, pp 44-50 Nguyen Nhu Trang (2020), “Category of the will in Nguyen Cong Tru’s aesthetic conception”, Journal of Social Sciences Manpower, No 2, pp 71-77 Nguyen Nhu Trang (2020), “The conceited aesthetic tendency in Nguyen Cong Tru’s compositions”, Conference proceedings on Nguyen Cong Tru with Vietnamese history and culture in the first half of the 19th century, National University Publishing House, Hanoi Nguyen Nhu Trang (2020), “Category of the King and servants in Nguyen Cong Tru’s aesthetic conception”, Review of Literary Studies, No (578), April 2020, pp 89-94 25