Exercises
Pure poetry
Photos courtesy of Bangkok Post
Thais celebrate Sunthorn Phu
On June 26, Thais celebrate the birthday of Sunthorn Phu,
one of the most beloved poets in the kingdom. This week�s exercise looks at the
history behind Phra Aphaimanee, Sunthorn Phu�s famous epic fantasy full of giants, mermaids
and princely romance.
A FALLING OUT
By the time he was 21 years old, Sunthorn Phu had already established himself as a popular poet. More success was soon to follow, with King Rama II appointing Sunthorn as a royal poet and honouring him with the title Khun Sunthorn Vorharn.
However, Sunthorn�s VIP status would not last long, due to an argument he had with the King�s brother, Rama III. The poet fell out of favour with the King, and he soon found himself in jail.
PRISON POEM
With time on his hands and an imagination running riot,
Sunthorn dreamed up the poem that would go down in history and make him famous.
It took Sunthorn Phu 20 years to complete Phra Aphaimanee. The poem was so popular that Sunthorn was able to sell short extracts while in jail and make himself a small fortune.
He was eventually pardoned by the King, becoming a royal teacher and literary advisor.
RECENT NEWS
On May 19 in Rayong�s Klaeng district, the sculptured flute from the Phra Apaimanee statue went missing. It was found two days later at a rubbish dump. The flute�s disappearance caused outrage among locals.
The statue is in the memorial park built in honour of Sunthorn Phu (1786-1855). Klaeng district is believed to be his birthplace.
Exercise
Read the story. Then, answer the following exercise questions.
1. What kinds of characters are featured in Phra Aphaimanee?
2. Why was Sunthorn put in jail?
3. What title did King Rama II give Sunthorn Phu?
4. How long did it take for Sunthorn Phu to finish Phra Aphaimanee?
5. What did Sunthorn sell while he was in jail?
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epic (n): a long poem about the actions of great women and men or about
historical events IDIOMS fall
out of favour: to lose the respect of someone |
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