What exactly is prose? (sentence, paragraph, quote, difference)

[STP554987]

I am in a class titled, "Prose Workshop" and am not really receiving a clear definition as to what exactly prose is. Everyone is to turn in writing pieces during the semester for a workshop type of critique. Everyone seems to be turning in very personal 1st person stories, which seem like diary entries to me. One girl discussed her first sexual experience while another discussed her weight.

My first piece is to be reviewed on Tuesday and the piece I wrote has characters in it, has a narrator's voice and was designed as fiction. Because of this I feel like I have done something wrong since my piece doesn't match others. While reading online I see that prose can take many forms and has varying points of view. But, I am missing the main distinction and if I did anything wrong by turning in a piece of fiction.

Thank you.

[Rob Allen]

You did nothing wrong. I don't know if this is the technical definition but in practice, any writing that isn't poetry is prose. It can be fiction, memoir, biography, or journalism - if it's made up of sentences and paragraphs, it's prose.

[lovecda]

Originally Posted by Rob Allen

You did nothing wrong. I don't know if this is the technical definition but in practice, any writing that isn't poetry is prose. It can be fiction, memoir, biography, or journalism - if it's made up of sentences and paragraphs, it's prose.

Precisely that. Anything that's not poetry or verse is prose. Off the top of my head, I believe the dictionary definition goes something to the effect of: "writing that does not have a metrical form."

During one of my creative writing courses at university, it seemed that many people focused on memoirs when they were allowed to write freely. My guess is a lot of students are just self-absorbed and like talking about themselves.

[purehuman]

prose is the ordinary form of spoken or written language; plain language not arranged in verses...... dull ordinary talk, matter of fact; commonplace, lacking imagination.....straight.

[ABQConvict]

If it is not poetry, it is prose.

I don't think prose should be universally defined as unimaginative or dull by any means, that sentiment is secondary at best, and is better covered by the word 'prosaic' which is derived from the word prose.

[jtur88]

Bui, nowadays, poetry is often simply prose with unjustified right margins.

Here is an interesting comment on the difference beween prose and poetry:

http://www.textetc.com/modernist/pro...ed-poetry.html

[ABQConvict]

Originally Posted by jtur88

Bui, nowadays, poetry is often simply prose with unjustified right margins.

Yes, it is. In fact, I'm a poet and I didn't even know it.

Originally Posted by ABQConvict

If it is not poetry, it is prose -by ABQConvict

I don't think prose should be universally defined
as unimaginative or dull by any means
that sentiment is secondary at best
and is better covered by the word 'prosaic'
which is derived from the word prose

Ah! Now that, my friends, is a publishable poem!