Aesthetics of Khlong in Thai Poetry
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AESTHETICS OF KHLONG have imitated the same words employed by IN THAI POETRY: poets of previous generations, they have also adapted and developed them to suit CONVENTION AND the individuality of each poet for the 1 CREATIVITY unique aesthetics of both diction and concept. It can be said that the creation of Weerawat lntaraporn 2 melodious and witty khlong is congruent with the nature of the Thai language since khlong is Thai in its origin and this in Abstract itself enhances the effectiveness of Thai poets in making use of the dominant · This paper aims to illustrate the beaury of characteristics of the Thai language in the khlong (Thai poetry) creatively written composition of their poetic works from the and transmitted from the past to the past to the present. present through a study of the preservation and creation of aesthetics in Introduction relation to euphony, and diction, as well as the imitation of words used by previous Among all types of Thai verse, khlong has poets with new meaning in Thai poetry. long been given significance by poets From the study, it is found that Thai poets throughout the hi story of Thai literature. It of each era have both followed and is presumed that khlong originated at adapted the traditional style of almost the same time as rai, another composition. In terms of euphony, poets classical type of Thai verse. (Watchari from the past to the present put an Ramayanun, 1995: 78). The evidence can emphasis on tones at the end of each line, be found in a work of Thai literature play on different tone levels, and use written in the central part of the country, internal rhymes as seen in both Lilit Ongkan Chang Nam, composed alliteration and assonance. As for diction, around the beginning of the Ayudhaya puns, either homophones or homonyms period in the reign of King Ramathipbodi and repeated words are employed. I. A lot of Thai literature experts such as Regarding word formation, even though it Chit Phumrnisak, Phraya Uppakit is obviously seen that poets Sinlapasan, Prakhong Nimmanhaeminda and Cholada Ruengruglikit concur that khlong is a pattern of verse shared by Thai 1 This research paper is part of a doctoral people and the tribe of 'Tai,' as testified dissertation on 'Aesthetics of khlong in Thai by the fact that khlong or verses whose poetry: Literary Creation from the Nature of patterns resemble that of khlong have been Thai Language,' Department of Thai, Faculty found in the literary works of Thai people of Arts, Chulalongkorn University, 2005. The and of many groups of the 'Tai' tribe. The researcher would like to express his gratitude fact that the original pattern of khlong was to his dissertation advisor, Associate Professor shared between Thai people and the tribe Cholada Ruengruglikit, Ph.D. for her useful of 'Tai,' has enabled poets to create their advice, without which this research would not have been possible. khlong, as seen in a lot of masterpieces of Thai literature, by making use of the 2 Ph.D. Candidate in Thai, Department of Thai, nature of the Thai language. Even though Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University, the popularity of composing a long story Thailand. in khlong nowadays seems to be in Downloaded from Brill.com10/06/2021 02:24:39AM via free access MANUSYA: Journal of Humanities (Special Issue No.l l 2006) decline, a lot of modem Thai poets still see Convention and Creative its value and choose to compose their Aesthetics of Khlong in Regard to poems in khlong. Euphony It can be clearly seen from all the verses in khlong which have been composed by In composing Thai literature, euphony is poets from the past up to now that poets of considered the most important element. As each era not only adopt the concept of noted by Prince Narathipphongpraphan, creating in accordance with the aesthetics literature is the art performed by diction, of the poets of previous generations but especially in verse, and the words must be a!so adapt previous forms for literary mellifluous when read aloud. (Prince novelty and to express their individuality. Narathipphongpraphan. 1975: 108) There Since khlong is significant in terms of both fore, euphony is important in writing literary conventions and the style which khlong, specifically in the early period of has been used in composing Thai literature the composition of khlong. Due to the fact by poets of all eras, it is appropriate that that khlong was originally written to be the study of the literary conventions and recited, to appreciate it was duly based on creativity of khlong, created by the use of the sounds, as seen in an example of Thai the Thai language, should be researched. literature of the early Ayudhaya period, Lilit Phra Lo, · l'f11tnntwul.lti1-uti,~ i~1h-u Yh This study aims to trace literary ll'ftJ1:i~~-u 1mvl.J,~· - A recital of khlong is conventions and creative aesthetics of the so full of elation and impressively Thai khlong from the past to the present melodious that no sound on earth can day in order to illustrate the beauty of compare. (Wannakam Samai Ayudhaya khlong. Vol.I, 1997: 387) This paper will illustrate the conventions and creative aesthetics of In the study, the researcher would like to euphony in two respects: playing on prove that in composing khlong, poets of different tone levels and internal rhymes. each era have not only been endowed with the process of creativity from poets of previous generations in terms of euphony, Playing on Different Tone Levels diction, and the imitation of words used by previous poets with new meaning but The fact that khlong has a requirement that developed these to suit their own purposes determines the specific place of tones, as well. which is the dominant feature of the Thai language, in its composition apart from From various masterpieces of Thai verse such general rules for poetic composition in khlong form that have been collected in Thai as the number of words, hemistich written from the beginning of th~ and rhymes makes its prosodic pattern Ayudhaya period to the present day, distinct from other types of Thai poetry. Rattanakosin era, the researcher has found However, tones are not used for the sake the following: of a prosodic pattern, but they can help create euphonious articulation due to their musical qualities. Poets of each era have preserved the use of tones in creating euphony in two ways: 74 Downloaded from Brill.com10/06/2021 02:24:39AM via free access Aesthetics ofKhlong in Thai Poetry a) Requirement of Tones at the End to show how he uses rising tones at the end of Each Hemistich or Each Full Line of the stanza and at the rhyming places between the hemistiches of line l and line In composing all types of khlong, even 3. though there is no specific rule to specify the exact tone at the end of a stanza, poets hatsacli ronnaret ang awasan nina select only mid and rising tones to make nup anakh6ttakan hon ph6ng khattlya yilt banhan kh6t khO kan hae khlong melodious. This charac-teristic can khong tae phtlea phi n6ng trap fa din ka slti be found in both Khlongsidun and Khlongsisuphap written since the early (Supreme Patriarch Prince Paramanuchit f5eriod of khlong composition up until chinorot, 1987: 85) now. A good example can be seen in a Khlongsisuphap written at the beginning The use of the rising tone at the end of a of the Ayudhaya period, Lilit Phra Lo, stanza and the position of external rhymes whose stanza ends with a rising tone as has been practised by modern poets as seen in 'song' below. well. It can be seen in Naowarat Phongphaibun' s work where the rising rnn h~n phra philen thai phaeng thong tone is frequently employed. A good song naep non naem song trllptMi illustration is his Khlongsisuphap, titled song si sot kon trakong kot rat lae na Chak Ma Cham Mueang: chuan cMk pai lai lai su ban mueang ~ <Wannakam Samai Ayudhaya thewan than yiJ fa yilfan Voi.I, 1997: 405) rue chak loi long saw an sek sang mue manut nf 1ae ban dan ubat Apart from the end of each stanza, the nguea yat Ia yot hing 1016 mue si1ang rising tone can be found at the end of a (Naowarat Phongphaibun, 1977: 45) hemistich or full line, which rhymes with the next line, called external rhyme in each The researcher thinks that using the rising stanza. That is, the last word of line one tone at the end of the stanza helps impart a rhyme with the last word of the first melodious effect to the khlong since a hemistich of line two and the last word of rising tone is a tone which changes the the first hemistich of line three. level of the tone from the central rather low pitch to the lower level and then the The employment of the rising tone at the level will change from the high pitch to end of the stanza and at the end of a the central rather high or high pitch. hemistich or full line, which is also an (Phathani Chotikkasathian, 2001: 264). external rhyme, can be found in khlong of Therefore, the employment of the rising all eras. Some poets have used the rising tone at the end of a stanza results in a tone in the aforementioned places at a lengthy sound which is suitable for the frequent rate in their works; for instance, close. When khlong is recited, it is Supreme Patriarch Prince Paramanuchit melodious.