Prose vs Poetry – What’s the difference?

Time and again, literature has impressed many souls with its creative and intellectual mix. Literature is the art of writing and conveying meanings in a very exquisite and rich manner. Prose and poetry belong to that category. These are a form of literature that is very commonly known to us.

The main difference between prose and poetry lies in its writing style. While both are a form of literary work, they have distinct meanings and ways of presenting and writing. Let us understand them in detail.

Prose vs Poetry – Difference

The prose is a more simple and ordinary form of writing with no certain pattern, while poetry is a form of literary work that follows a specific pattern and style of writing.

Prose

Prose is a form of literary work that is written ordinarily. It is a form that is usually based on grammatical structure and is written in the flow that one normally uses in speech. It is basically writing that includes characters, themes, moods, and various perspectives with or without dialogues. Sometimes prose can also make use of images to make it more appealing.

Prose can be of distinct kinds;

It can be fictional, such as novels and short stories that are mainly imaginative and narrative. It can comprise people, events, and characters that are or can be partially or wholly imaginative.

Prose can also be non-fictional. Here, the stories are based on true events and facts. It can also comprise fictional touches but mainly focuses on real-life events.

Poetry Prose is another kind of prose. Here, the story is developed in a poetic manner with rhythmic ends.

Heroic prose is a kind that persists in an oral manner. For example, legends and tales are supposed to be passed down from generation to generation.

Poetry

On the other hand, Poetry is a form of literature that is more artistic and creative than prose.

It follows a certain form amongst so many and uses particular and specific words that are arranged in a manner that crafts a proper pattern and rhythm.

Poetry is not written in ordinary language or in the way one participates in a speech. It makes communication through a figurative sense and words that rhyme.

It aims to entertain readers and brings an emotional response through sound, words, rhythm, and meaning. Poems are not written in paragraphs. They are usually presented in lines or stanzas. Most poems have rhyming ends, but it is not mandatory.

Poetry can also be of different kinds;

Narrative poetry is a kind where rhythm is not the aim. It tries to narrate or tell a story through verses that may include characters, plots, etc.

Lyrical poetry is a kind of poetry that is more musical in nature, and instead of trying to explain a story, it tries to express emotions and feelings of oneself through short musical stories.

Dramatic poetry is a form where a poet tries to narrate a story and add emotions. It uses rhythms, rhyming ends, and monologues while indicating a story.

So, we see prose and poetry as popular artful literary work forms. They both are used to express stories and emotions, but how they are presented and written differs vastly.