Jackfruit by Ho Xuan Huong

Because the precise publication date of Jackfruit is unclear, and Ho Xuan Huong (1772-1822) lived in both the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, her poem is included in the exhibits for both centuries.  While few details of Ho's life can be established to any degree of certainty, she played a key role in Vietnamese literary tradition.  It's thought that she was married at least twice, and was a secondary wife, or concubine, in at least one of those marriages.  In "Jackfruit,"  Ho offers the reader a concise, potent meditation on identity and the female experience.