Pantun

Pantun (Jawi: ڤنتون‎) is a Malayic oral poetic form used to express intricate ideas and emotions. It generally consists of an even number of lines and is based on ABAB rhyming schemes. The shortest pantun consists of two lines, known as the pantun dua kerat in Malay, while the longest, the pantun enam belas kerat, can have 16 lines. Pantun is a disjunctive form of poetry that always comes in two parts: the first part is a prefatory statement called pembayang or sampiran which has no immediate logical or narrative connection with the second or closing statement called maksud or isi. However, they are always connected by rhyme and other verbal associations, such as puns and repeating sounds. There is also an oblique but necessary relationship, and the first statement often serves as a metaphor for the second. The most popular forms of pantun are the quatrain (four lines) and the couplet (two lines), which both feature prominently in literature and modern popular culture.

The earliest literary records of pantun date back to the 15th century Malacca Sultanate, although some historians believe that pantun may be as old as, or even precede, the Classical Malay language itself, having grown and spread during the Srivijaya era, from which the founder of Malacca originated. Pantun during the Malacca era was featured in the most important Malay literary text, the Malay Annals, and is regarded as a high art integral to classical Malay literature. It also thrived naturally in the daily communication of traditional Malay society and served as an important expressive tool in Malay songs, rituals, performing arts, and all forms of storytelling.