Research & Article

Descriptions of rhyme patterns in classical Thai verse are found in Thai versification textbooks and Thai literary anthologies. These descriptions are meticulous in their discussion and detail. Because of this detail, it appears that each verse form has its own idiosyncratic pattern that must be learned individually. To determine the validity of this impression, this study examines and compares the rhyme patternsofthefive classical Thai verse forms: raay, khloon, kaap. chan, and klccn.

The study concludes that the rhyme schemes are not idiosyncratic; but, rather_ they are based on three primary couplet patterns (meta-rhymes), with the use of each pattern dependent upon the number of lines (wak) in each stanza. These patterns, moreover, are highly conse rvative in that they have exhibited little or no change throughout the history of Thai literature.