what is the difference between prose and poem?

Answer 1

Such a simple question. Yet it is actually a very tricky question.

In the first place, forget the old definitions: poetry does NOT have to rhyme, and it does NOT have to have regular rhythm or meter. Walt Whitman reminded us of that with his free verse, but it had been true in most languages for thousands of years. (See, for example, the psalms of the Hebrew Bible.)

Basically, poetry is written in lines and prose is written in paragraphs. That's the difference. The word verse, sometimes used as a synonym for poetry as opposed to prose, in the original Latin meant "row, furrow" from "vertere"="to turn," as a plowman turned at the end of a row. (See modern reverse, inverse, introvert, extravert, etc.) That was the original meaning of poetry: writing that "turned" at the end of a line instead of going steadily onward as in a paragraph.

So the distinguishing feature of poetry is that it is written in lines, and one of the secrets to writing good poetry is to create an interesting tension between lines and sentences. With end stopped lines, the end of the lines corresponds with the end of a syntactic unit (sentence, clause, etc.); whereas with enjambed lines, the end of the line breaks into a syntactic unit or straddles a sentence, makes a u-turn with words, splits, twists, whiffles with a difference. [1] Modern poetry often makes very effective use of enjambment, suggesting interesting interpretations based on the poet's choice of where/how to break the lines.

I think the best way to introduce poetry writing for young writers to to have them construct "found" poems; that is, find a piece of prose they like and then decide how to break it into lines as "verse" or "poetry." Try it. You'll see how rewrting sentences into lines gives a new sense of awareness, of focus or emphasis, another level of meaning.

. . . the end of the line breaks
into a syntactic unit, or straddles
a sentence, makes a u-turn with
words, splits, twists, whiffles
with a difference.

It is true that most poetry also makes effective use of other "sound" qualities; such as, alliteration (the s's in the five lines above), consonance, (the n/s in the five lines), assonance (end, syn, sentence; whiff, diff in the five lines), internal rhymes (breaks, makes), half rhymes (turn, words; splits, twists), onomatopeia (whiffles), and the like. But start with lines.

Of course, some contemporary poets now write what they call prose poems -- so even that distinction is breaking down. But, frankly, I've never read one that I thought lived up to the name. Poetic prose, maybe. But not a genuine prose poem.

Poetry. It's all in the lines!

Answer 2

Prose is stuff like paragraphs and essays. Poetry tends to rhyme and/or have specific rhythm and imagery and stuff, but not always. Sometimes there is a fine line between prose and poetry and it is difficult to tell what something is. You could potentially analyse a paragraph as if it were a poem; some prose is very poetic. Some poetry is very matter-of-fact and close to prose. I think in those cases where it is not obvious, you would have to go with whatever the author decided it was.

Answer 3

A poem is an art form where words are used for their "aesthetic" qualities instead of or in addition to their actual meaning. Prose comes from the word for straightforward cuz thats what it is. Prose doesn't have the meter and rhyme that one might expect to find in poetry.

Really people, doesn't anyone look in Wikipedia? :-P

Answer 4

Poetry is not prose, but prose can be poetical. It can be lyrical, figurative, and illustrative. It can obey all the rules of prose, yet follow those of poetry.

Answer 5

Jeepers, I think free form, or "free verse" as some call it, is just prose broken up into smaller sentences and stuff! Gosh! What's the difference! Man oh man!

Answer 6

Prose at its best is straight forward. Poetry is illustrative.

Answer 7

prose does not ryme, poems ryme & have a cadence