| POETRY
During the Ayuthaya
period, Thailand developed a classical poetic tradition based on five
types of verse - chan, kap, khlong, khlon, and rai. Each of these forms
uses a complex set of strict rules to regulate metre, rhyming patterns
and number of syllables. Although all of these poetic systems use the
Thai language, chan and kap are derived from Sanskrit verse forms from
India while khlong, khlon and rai are native forms.
The Indian forms have
all but disappeared from 20th century use. During the political upheavals
of the 1970s, several Thai newspaper editors, most notably Kukrit Pramoj,
composed lightly, disguised political commentary in khlon verse. Modern
Thai poets seldom use the classical forms, preferring to compose in blank
verse or with song-style rhyming.
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