Ethical choices in Do Thanh Dong’s poetry

Abstract

Abstract: Do Thanh Dong’s poetry depicts a constant concern about many ethical issues of people and society. His profoundly philosophic and topical poems manifest the real ethical risk - the consequences of contradictions between tradition and modern, pureness and hybrid, simpleness and ludicrousness, morality and immorality. In which, the poet has revealed his ethical choices (伦理选择) such as returning to tradition and folklore, hiding and searching for salvation in religion and supernatural forces. Although subtly discovered, boldly exposed, and bravely criticised some negative aspects of human life, the writer still shows one kind of so-called “halfway ethical choices” that does not resolve matters fully. However, Do Thanh Dong has displayed risks of morality, as well as, warned people in the whirlwind of contemporary life. This paper studies his poetry from a perspective of ethical choices of Ethical Literary Criticism (文学伦理学批评) to clarify the issues.