Is it Poetry or Prose?

What is poetry? What is prose? Is there a difference? In a book written in 1883 we read, "A true poet will never confound verse and prose...." The person who wrote that was a poet. If you write poetry, you will know the difference between poetry and prose. But how many folks know this? Let's explore some of the differences between poetry and prose.

History of Prose and Poetry

Prose poetry dates back to the ancient writings of Hebrew scholars. It was used in the King James version of the Bible in the Book of Psalms. However, it was not recognized as a minor genre until after Aloysius Bertrand published Gespard de la nuit in 1842. This collection of fantasies written in rhythmical and flowery language is believed to have had a distinct influence on later poets. In 1869, Charles Baudelaire published Petis poemes en prose.The poetry was alive with vivid, almost surreal images. Some of the imagery ran to the grotesque.

What is Prose and Poetry ?

Prose poetry is poetry written as prose, in other words it is a hybrid form combining poetry and prose. The poem has all of the essential elements of traditional poetry written in verse. It has rhythm, rhyme, repetition, assonance, consonance, and imagery.The imagery can be so startling as to be surrealistic in nature.