Green Rice: Poems by Lam Thi My Da

by Lam Thi My Da, Thi Mmy Da Lam

When Washington Post columnist Edward Hirsch reprinted Lâm Thị Mỹ Dạ's "Garden Fragrance" and "Night Harvest" (from Six Vietnamese Poets ), he gave special praise to the simultaneous clarity and complexity of Dạ's poetry. Now, for the first time in English, readers can enjoy a full, bilingual volume of her selected work. While many of her poems deal with her experiences during the Vietnam War, they are grounded in her intimate involvement with the landscape, flora, and fauna of her country, and explore love, motherhood, women's issues, and the sometimes difficult movement into middle age.

Genres: Poetry

180 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2005

About the author

Lâm Thị Mỹ Dạ (18 September 1949 – 6 July 2023) was a Vietnamese poet.

Reviews

[Kden0.0 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the poems of Lam. Her ability to see beauty and love in an immensely cruel world is so deeply moving. Her writing reminds me to love my planet, home, and loved ones dearly, and her ability to draw from nature a piece of the human experience is beautiful.

Lam speaks with the voice of compassion. Her poetry is a rare instance of Vietnamese poetry surrounding the Vietnam war that is translated into English. As Americans who must come to better understand our nation's role in creation of so much global suffering, Lam's voice represents a golden opportunity to learn and listen to those that have experienced American imperialism.

I really appreciated her ability to tie together nature, history, and philosophy. Lam speaks with the voice of the ancient sages. Her Buddhist perspective was especially welcome when it came up.

[Cheryl]

Hm. Just couldn't get into these, though I did try. Maybe if I were reading together with a group, class, or friend I would.