Introduction to Prose

 

Prose is one of the two major forms of literary expression, the other one is poetry. When it comes to the  distinction between prose and poetry, prose is like walking, as it is functional(plain and simple), while poetry is like dancing, which is decorative or ornamental. Prose is the medium that is regularly used in spoken language, letters, articles, newspapers and short stories. The word 'prose' is derived from the Latin 'prosa’ means 'straightforward'. It is thus a direct and plain form of language that is used in everyday communication.

 

There are several artistic manifestations of prose too. Generally, a prose writer does not make use of rhyme and metre, which are the chief characteristics of poetry. This is not to say that prose cannot be artistic and pleasing. A skilful writer makes use of several devices like puns (humorous use of words and phrases, it suggests different meaning e.g. “I am Earnest ”), paradox (self contradictory statements or union of opposite words), alliteration and metaphors.

There is no prescribed style for writing prose. There are as many styles as there are writers, and these may range from the most simple to the very complex. Francis Bacon, one of the early exponents of this form in modern English, preferred to write in simple, short sentences. John Milton, on the other hand, wrote extremely long and complicated sentences that were Latinate in style. In the twentieth century, people preferred a fast-paced and lucid style which avoided the use of bombastic and high-sounding words.

Since the term 'prose is used to cover a vast variety of writing, from the ordinary, personal letter to the highly artistic novel, it may be studied under different headings such as nonfiction, fiction and literary criticism. There are several forms of nonfiction prose writing such as Biography, Autobiography and Essay etc.