352 ON SIAMESE LITERATURE. 



* enables the ear to distinguish the close of each series of feet, and to 

 ' anticipate that close at stated intervals,' then is the Thai language per- 

 fectly capable of such a combination. The Thai poetry is so supplied 

 with rhythm that it might and frequently does exist without rhyme. 



There are two prominent styles in the poetic works of this language— 

 the epic* and the dramatic. 



The greatest proportion of the Nangsu So-wt, or heroic poems, 

 resemble the Cheritras of India. They are not confined to one species 

 of measure, as shall be shewn. 



The unities are not often much attended to — and the generally diffuse 

 style of their works is unfavorable to the action. 



As most of the different sorts of metre used in their poetical works 

 consist of a great many feet, there is an opportunity afforded of correcting 

 the consequent heaviness, by a proper distribution of the pauses, or the 

 Yut hai chat as they are termed. These most commonly divide the lines 

 into two equal parts, excepting when they approach to the hexameter, 

 when two or more pauses in a line are required for the melody. A word 

 is very rarely divided by a pause — an advantage, if not a beauty, peculiar 

 to the monosyllabic system. The sense too is seldom disjoined to assist 

 in the movement of the feet. 



There appears to be no caesural pause where the preceding syllable is 

 long. The last word of a verse, or of a stanza is usually pronounced in a 

 lengthened tone— and there is no arbitrary cadencej observed. This 

 prolongation of the tone in some instances appears to supply the want of a 

 long syllable, although it certainly is attended with the disadvantage of 

 increasing the chime. The capital accent is in most cases laid upon the 

 word immediately preceding the csesure. Some strongly accented or in- 

 tonated syllables are short by rule — thus Phra. It requires a strict 

 attention to the verse to distinguish in many cases the vowels u, a, e, ai. 



* Called Nithan — or N'lyai and ru-ang ruu. 

 -j- Long bot. 



