Definition

1. Verb (archaic):
   • To recite poetry aloud: The act of declaiming or chanting verses in a clear, often expressive, voice. This term specifically refers to the vocal performance of poetic works, emphasizing the auditory delivery rather than silent reading.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Nhà thơ thường lãng ngâm những bài thơ của mình dưới ánh trăng. (The poet would often recite his poems aloud under the moonlight.)
  • Trong buổi họp mặt, cụ già đã lãng ngâm một bài thơ cổ. (At the gathering, the old man recited an ancient poem aloud.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "lãng ngâm" is considered archaic in modern Vietnamese and is primarily encountered in classical literature, historical descriptions, or poetic contexts to evoke a sense of tradition and refined artistic practice.

Variants and Related Words

• Ngâm thơ (v): to recite poetry; the modern and more common term for chanting or reciting poems, often with a melodic intonation.
  • Bà ấy thích ngâm thơ của Hồ Xuân Hương. (She likes to recite poems by Hồ Xuân Hương.)

Synonyms

• Declaim: to utter or deliver words, especially a poem, in a rhetorical or formal style.
• Chant: to recite in a singing, monotonous tone.
• Recite: to repeat aloud from memory, especially a poem or passage.

Related Idioms

• While "lãng ngâm" itself is not typically part of a common idiom, the act it describes is central to the traditional cultural idiom "ngâm thơ, đối tửu" (reciting poetry, matching wine cups), which evokes a classical scholarly pastime.
  • Các tao nhân mặc khách thường tụ họp để ngâm thơ, đối tửu. (Refined scholars and artists often gathered to recite poetry and exchange toasts.)