« T.S. Elliot | Home | Getting started »
Poetry v. Prose
By | January 2, 2008
Prose is a style of poetry but it is different in that, it is more speech like and resembles everyday conversations rather than the elaborate sentences that are formed in poetry. It is derived from the latin word ‘Prosa’ which means straight forward. Prose is unpretentious and uncomplicated. It does not have the stylistic devices that poetry does. It is a slightly poetic version of speech. Prose also lacks a formal structure like poetry and does not have things such as a meter or rhyme as poetry always does.
In history poetry was always looked upon as a form of art but then prose was merely a way to record happenings or events. It was only in modern time when novels written in prose began to come out, that prose became a form of literature. Poetry is still given more importance than prose. Poetry is more artificial but prose is more natural. It is not constructed and represents ordinary conversation.
Prose when used is generally thought of as dull and unimaginative. Shakespeare used prose and poetry to describe the class of a person, mental state etc. In Romeo & Juliet the servants spoke in prose while the family spoke in poetic form. Prose is used to depict many things and the style changes according the situation that is to be depicted. Prose is used to depict romance, thrillers. Also when poems are translated from one language to another, prose in used in the adapted version. Prose is also used in newspapers, magazines, philosophy, geography and other media.
Thus though poetry is more favored by critics and is at the top of the hierarchy, prose is becoming increasingly popular with the publication of more and more books in prose form. The form is far easier to understand and reaches a wider audience base.
Topics: Poetry Advice, Prose and Verse |
Comments are closed.