This first term of Khmer class, we predominantly worked on finalizing the Khmer Poetry Book that we wrote last school year. In Cambodia, poets always have rhyming within their writings, and we do not have a free verse-poem; so in this book, it’s consist of different types of poems, and how to write them. Furthermore, it also gives information regarding how to read the poems, many poems in Khmer are often has a different rhythms on how to read, and have different syllables to stress on; since each type of poem is unique, this book aims to help Cambodians to learn how to write poems. In addition, there are sections within the book that consists of different songs that the Liger Senior Cohort wrote in Khmer Class.
Below is an example of the 10 syllable poem or 10 peak poem, where each line must have 10 syllables, this example poem is written by Ly So Mony, the author of សៀវភៅកំណាព្យខ្មែរ.
As you can see the lines connecting words together, are representing that those syllables rhythm with each other. So in 10 peak poem, each line has two phrases, and each stanza has two lines.
For rhyming within stanza, the last syllable of the first phrase of a line has to rythm with the fifth syllable of the second phrase of the same line.
And for rhyming across stanza, the last syllable of the second phrase of the second lines has to rhyme with the last syllable of second phrase of first line of the next stanza.