Prose

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This article is about the language form. For legal term uses, see Pro se.
Literature

Major forms

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Media
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Techniques
Prose · Verse
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Prose is the most typical form of language. The English word 'prose' is derived from the Latin
prōsa, which literally translates as 'straight-forward.' While there are critical debates on the
construction of prose, its simplicity and loosely defined structure has led to its adoption for the
majority of spoken dialogue, factual discourse as well as topical and fictional writing. It is
commonly used, for example, in literature, newspapers, magazines, encyclopedias, broadcasting,
film, history, philosophy and many other forms of communication.

[edit] Structure
Prose is considered one of the two major literary structures, with the other being verse.[citation needed]
Prose lacks the more formal metrical structure of verse that is almost always found in traditional
poetry. Poems often 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. Similarly, any work of verse with fewer rules
and restrictions is known as free verse. 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 requested, jokingly, that novice poets should "remember my homely
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]

Dictionary

–noun
1.
the ordinary form of spoken or written language, without metrical structure, as distinguished
from poetry or verse.
2.
matter-of-fact, commonplace, or dull expression, quality, discourse, etc.
3.
Liturgy . a hymn sung after the gradual, originating from a practice of setting words to the
jubilatio of the alleluia.
–adjective
4.
of, in, or pertaining to prose.
5.
commonplace; dull; prosaic.
–verb (used with object)
6.
to turn into or express in prose.
–verb (used without object)
7.
to write or talk in a dull, matter-of-fact manner.
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