“Klon Niras Pak Phanang” by Luang Prakhongkhadee : Outstanding Characteristics and Its Relation to Sunthorn Phu’s Poetic Style

Abstract

          The literal work “Klon Niras Pak Phanang” was written by Luang Prakhongkhadee in 1937. It was a record of the poet’s official journey from Bangkok to Pak Phanang district in Nakon Si Thammarat province in the South of Thailand. The outstanding characteristic of this literal work was the poet’s style of writing of which the traditional style of Niras was followed by describing his love and longing for the lady he loved. Also, there were the connections between places he passed and the poet’s feelings, descriptions of the nature or travel conditions, and records of social conditions focusing on those of the Southern areas such as important religious places, checkpoints, and other places as well as the natural resources, folktales, occupations, population, tourist accommodations, or entertainment places, people’s accents, transportation system, buildings, community problems, and local government administration. Moreover, the poet also presented his ideas on various issues which could be adapted for everyday life. The story was narrated via various poetic styles such as puns, diversification, comparison, allusion, suffix, and emotional words. It was also found that Luang Prakhongkhadee’s style of writing was very similar to that of Sunthorn Phu (one of Thai outstanding poets), especially on Niras. This clearly signified the influence of Sunthorn Phu’s works on the poets of later generations. The poet’s narration was prominent because of his deep record on the Southern society conditions in 1937. Apart from more learning the dynamic of Southern societies, the study of this Niras also reflected the continuous inheritance of Niras as a kind of literary work as well as a broader expansion of the horizon of Rattanakosin’s Niras.