Prose is the most typical form of written language, applying ordinary grammatical structure and natural speech flow rather than rhythmic structure (as in traditional poetry). Prose by nature is defined by its simplicity and loose structure - it is the basis of virtually all spoken dialog across the world.
According to Webster's Online Dictionary, prose is "the ordinary language people use in speaking or writing". It tends to be matter-of-fact and commonplace by nature, without any specialist structure and distinguished from poetry and verse.
The word prose is derived from the Latin word 'prosa', which means straightforward. Prose has no formal structure, unlike poetry which has a metrical structure of verse that often involve a meter and/or rhyme scheme. Forms of literature that blur the gap between prose and verse are often referred to as either 'prose poetry' or 'free verse'. Poems involve a meter or a rhyme scheme, whereas prose is consisted of full sentences and paragraphs with grammatical structure.
Different forms of prose include:
• Essays
• Novels
• Short stories
• Articles
Prose can be divided up into two different categories - narrative prose and expository text.
• Narrative prose
Narrative prose is storytelling. Examples of narratives can include stories such as fairy tales, fables, biographies and mystery stories. Stories have a beginning, middle and end and will tend to have characters, settings, themes and a sequence of events.
• Expository text
Expository text is non-fiction reading material that is intended to inform or explain something to its audience, rather than simply to tell a story. It can be found in textbooks, encyclopedias, newspapers, guidebooks and atlases, for instance. Expository text typically serves the purpose of helping its readers learn and understand more about their world.
According to Webster's Online Dictionary, prose is "the ordinary language people use in speaking or writing". It tends to be matter-of-fact and commonplace by nature, without any specialist structure and distinguished from poetry and verse.
The word prose is derived from the Latin word 'prosa', which means straightforward. Prose has no formal structure, unlike poetry which has a metrical structure of verse that often involve a meter and/or rhyme scheme. Forms of literature that blur the gap between prose and verse are often referred to as either 'prose poetry' or 'free verse'. Poems involve a meter or a rhyme scheme, whereas prose is consisted of full sentences and paragraphs with grammatical structure.
Different forms of prose include:
• Essays
• Novels
• Short stories
• Articles
Prose can be divided up into two different categories - narrative prose and expository text.
• Narrative prose
Narrative prose is storytelling. Examples of narratives can include stories such as fairy tales, fables, biographies and mystery stories. Stories have a beginning, middle and end and will tend to have characters, settings, themes and a sequence of events.
• Expository text
Expository text is non-fiction reading material that is intended to inform or explain something to its audience, rather than simply to tell a story. It can be found in textbooks, encyclopedias, newspapers, guidebooks and atlases, for instance. Expository text typically serves the purpose of helping its readers learn and understand more about their world.
