Literature is considered as an art form of writing that includes artistic, as well as intellectual expressions. Broadly speaking, it is the collection of literary work such as poem, prose, novel, play, or short story, which may be imaginative, or based on true incident put into words with a touch of creativity.
Both prose and poetry are two common forms of literary works, with different connotations.
Prose vs Poetry
The main difference between prose and poetry is that of the writing style. Prose has no particular style or literary design, it can be found in blogs, newspaper articles, etc, whereas, on the other hand, poetry has a unique style, and is written in stanzas.
Prose is a literary work written ordinarily, without any metrical composition i.e. without any pattern, or any particular tone. Whereas, poetry is a form of literature that uses rhythmic patterns, unlike prose.
Comparison Table Between Prose and Poetry (in Tabular Form)
| Parameters of Comparison | Prose | Poetry |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Prose is a free-flow form of literary work in which the author pens downs his or her thoughts or feelings comprehensively. | Poetry is a form of literature in which the author writes his thoughts/feelings in an artistic style of writing. |
| Writing Style | Prose is written simply, without stanzas. | Whereas, in the case of poetry it is written in stanzas, and paragraphs, decoratively. |
| Motive | The main motive of penning down a prose is to make readers aware. | Whereas, poetry is written for pleasure, or to delight the readers. |
| Language | The language used in a prose is natural, and easy to understand. | On the other hand, in poetry language used is rhythmic. |
| Easy to understand | Prose is easy to understand, and can be comprehended by reading it once. | While, on the other hand, poetry is sometimes hard to understand and it may take two-three times for a reader to comprehend. |
What is Prose?
Prose is a natural form of writing that exhibits an ordinary form of grammatical structure. It has no metric structure and is written in the language that people make use of as a part of their everyday speech which is used to speak, as well as to write. Prose may or may not include dialogues, moreover, it is sometimes supported by an image.
The following are the four kinds of prose:
- Fictional prose: A fictional prose includes novels and short stories. It is wholly, or partly imaginative, and is written in a narrative form that comprises people, events, places, etc.
- Non-fictional prose: A non-fictional prose is the prose which is based on true events, or facts, but may contain some fictional matter. Examples of non-fictional prose are the same as fictional prose i.e. novels, and short stories.
- Heroic prose: A heroic prose is a form of literature that is either written down, or preserved through oral tradition, but is meant to be passed on to generations, or to be recited. Examples of heroic prose are legends and tales.
- Poetry prose: A poetry prose is a poetry written as a prose and has a rhythmic style, or poetic meter. Moreover, it is written in paragraphs instead of verses.
Newspaper articles, fairy tales, essays, biography, novels, textbook, stories, class lectures, and autobiography are all examples of prose. Moreover, it is commonly used in our day-to-day conversations as well.
What is Poetry?
Poetry is a form of literature written artfully and is an ancient form that has gone through numerous drastic reinventions over time. It evokes imaginative consciousness among the readers through its creative structure of words, and rhyme that binds the readers with the poem. It is the genre of the literature that expresses ideas, feelings, and thoughts in stanzas and specific form lines.
A poem is written mainly to entertain the readers, moreover, it is written in a figurative speech, and is decorated with artistic expressions. It is an imaginative awareness of experience expressed through meaning, sound, and rhythmic language choice, to evoke an emotional response. Moreover, poetry is known to have a metric and rhyme, however, it is not necessary.
The following are the three kinds of poetry:
- Narrative poetry: A narrative poetry is a type of poetry that tells a story which is written in verses. Moreover, it includes characters, roles, plot, etc. It is usually not written rhythmically.
- Dramatic poetry: A dramatic poetry is that genre of poems that have an emotional touch attached to it. It depicts a storyline or a specific situation, and includes monologues, as well as rhyme verses.
- Lyrical poetry: A lyrical poem is a short musical story that expresses personal feelings, thoughts, and emotions. Moreover, it is written in the first person. The writer uses words to express the emotions instead of a story.
Main Differences Between Prose and Poetry
- Prose is written in such a way that it does not pay attention to rhyme, whereas, in the case of poetry, it is written rhythmically.
- While writing a prose, the writer, or author has no word limit, on the other hand, a writer has a limited number of words that he, or she can use.
- Prose is mainly realistic, on the other hand, the poem uses imaginative scenarios.
- In prose, ideas/thoughts are written down into lines which are combined into paragraphs, whereas, in the case of poetry it is written in stanzas.
- In prose, the writer conveys an informative message for the betterment of the society, the readers, whereas, on the other hand, in the poem, the poet only writes to serve delight to its readers
Conclusion
Both prose and poem are two commonly used forms of literature, with different meanings, as well as writing styles. The basic difference between prose and a poem is that the former is written in a simple language, and in paragraphs, on the contrary, a poem is written in stanzas with aesthetic style. Furthermore, prose consists of no rhyme, or rhythm unlike the poem, that has a unique pattern.
References
- https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED040786
- https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/imp/jcs/2013/00000020/f0020009/art00008