Prose
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Prose is a form of language that exhibits a grammatical structure and a natural flow of speech rather than a rhythmic structure (as in traditional poetry). While there are critical debates on the construction of prose, its simplicity and loosely defined structure have led to its adoption for use in the majority of spoken dialogue, factual discourse and both topical and fictional writing. It is commonly used, for example, in literature, newspapers, magazines, encyclopedias, broadcasting, film, history, philosophy, law and many other forms of communication.
History
According to the first two sentences of Isaac Newton's The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms,
The Greek Antiquities are full of Poetical Fictions, because the Greeks wrote nothing in Prose, before the Conquest of Asia by Cyrus the Persian. Then Pherecydes Scyrius and Cadmus Milesius introduced the writing in Prose.
Structure
Prose lacks the more formal metrical structure of verse that is almost always found in traditional poetry. Poems usually involve a meter and/or rhyme scheme. Prose, instead, comprises full, grammatical sentences, which then constitute paragraphs and overlook aesthetic appeal. Some works of prose do contain traces of metrical structure or versification and a conscious blend of the two literature formats is known as prose poetry. Verse is considered to be more systematic or formulaic, whereas prose is the most reflective of ordinary (often conversational) speech. On this point, Samuel Taylor Coleridge jokingly requested that novice poets should know the "definitions of prose and poetry; that is, prose,—words in their best order; poetry,—the best words in their best order."[1] In Molière's play Le Bourgeois gentilhomme, Monsieur Jourdain asked for something to be written in neither verse nor prose. A philosophy master replied that "there is no other way to express oneself than with prose or verse," for the simple reason being that "everything that is not prose is verse, and everything that is not verse is prose."[2]
Types
There are many types of prose, including nonfictional prose, heroic prose, prose poem, polyphonic prose, alliterative prose, prose fiction and village prose in Russian literature.[3] A prose poem is a composition in prose that has some of the qualities of a poem.[4]
See also
References
- ^ "Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1913)". University of Chicago reconstruction. Retrieved 2010-01-31.
- ^ "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme". English translation accessible via Project Gutenberg. Retrieved 2010-01-31.
- ^ "Prose". Britannica.com. Retrieved 2012-05-27.
- ^ "Prose poem". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 2012-05-27.