กลวิธีการเสนอความคิดเรื่องความรักชาติในนิราศ รัชสมัยพระบาทสมเด็จพระมงกุฎเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว

Abstract

This article focuses on the techniques for instilling patriotism in five poems of the nirat genre composed in the reign of His Majesty King Vajiravudh (Rama VI): Kap He Ruea (King Vajiravudh’s royal barge paddling shanty) (1914), Nirat Maha Waree Pee Maseng (1917), Nirat Pen Tha-Han (1917), Nirat Lerk-Phai (1918) and Nirat Ma-lay-they-thai (1922). It was found that the selected nirat instilled patriotism in an interesting way: the poets linked the idea of a man’s love for a woman with patriotism. They expanded the use lamentation and criticism from communication between two individuals, which is the hallmark of the nirat genre, to communication with the people at large, who are held to be the strength of the nation, so that they would become aware of the problems besetting the nation at that time, such as the problem of the lack of soldiers volunteering to fight in World War I, the problem of the Great Floods of 1917 in Thailand, the problem of polictical instability, the limitations of the Royal Navy in the country. The poets advised and admonished the people to express their love of the country by working together to solve the problems that had arisen. The results of the study show the literary and social value of the nirat in this period and the views of poets at this time when society was facing change. They also show the prominent characteristics of the content of nirat which played a role in guiding society and arousing the people to join in solving problems for improving their quality of life and the prosperity and progress of the nation. The study is an approach to investigating relations in the connections between literature and society and between nirat of succeeding periods.