Prose is non-poetic language used for written communication, including novels and business letters. It differs from poetry in structure and lack of rhyme and meter, but can use elements such as metaphor and imagery. Prose developed after poetry as a means of formal communication, and the earliest surviving example is Herodotus’ history.
Prose is a term applied to any kind of speech that is not poetry. This term usually, but not always, refers to written rather than spoken language. As a format of everyday communication, the term prose can apply to anything from a business letter to a 600-page novel.
It may be easier to define prose by examining how it differs from poetry: the distinctions between the two are most apparent in the structure. The prose does not have a rhythmic construction like most poetry, nor does it use the specific line breaks associated with verse. It does not require the use of rhyming words at the end of lines, and it does not employ the brevity and sparing use of words for which the poem is often known.
There are some elements of poetry, however, that prose makes use of. These elements include the use of metaphor, comparing two different objects, and alliteration – the use of similar sounds at the beginning of words. Prose can also employ imagery, a term for the use of specific details that help create the concrete visual world in the mind’s eye. The image is like a painting made of words.
From the Latin words prosa oratio, meaning “direct speech”, prose is the dominant form in literature. It is the accepted mode of writing for novels, short stories, plays, and folktales. This form is also used on the Internet and in everyday business communication.
Non-poetic language has most likely become the dominant form of written communication, because the structure of poetry can be very challenging and time consuming. Poetry comes with strict limitations of rhyme and meter. Furthermore, the sparing use of words and attention to vocabulary make the poem an unlikely choice for everyday communication.
In the history of language, prose is the younger sister of poetry. Linguists say it developed as a formal means of communication after the development of poetry. They believe that the use of poetry originally grew as a way to remember spoken stories. It is apparently easier for the human mind to remember words that have a rhythm.
The development of non-poetic language as a means of formal communication can be traced back to 6th century Ionia. It was used to record historical and mythological stories. The history of Herodotus, believed to have been written between 490 BC and 425 BC, is the earliest surviving example of a complete work of non-poetic language.
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