The values of Minh Mang King’s poems

Abstract

According to Dai Nam thuc luc (the enormous official historical records of Nguyen dynasty), King Minh Mang composed many poems throughout his life and those were printed in Ngu che thi so tap and Ngu che thi luc tap, with nearly 4,000 poems in total. Those works, still available in printed and wood-carved forms, cover a continuum of topics from history, literature, culture, magnificent landscapes, political issues, public care, agricultural practices, Heaven worship...; Thus, as the head of state with heavy duty of caring for national affairs, how could he manage his time for such composition. This article brings about an explanation for the motives, intentions and values of the regal poems as composed by Minh Mang King.

Key words: regal poems, Minh Mang, composing views, political issues, public care.