PROSE

COMPILE by SANTIANA, S.S., M.Pd.

What is Prose?

• Prose is poetry that doesn't rhyme
• Prose is the most typical form of written language, applying ordinary grammatical structure and natural flow of speech rather than rhythmic structure (as in traditional poetry). 
• The English word "prose" is derived from the Latin prōsa, which literally translates as "straight-forward." While there are critical debates on the construction of prose, its simplicity and loosely defined structure has led to its adoption for the majority of spoken dialogue, factual discourse as well as topical and fictional writing. It is commonly used, for example, in literature, newspapers, magazines, encyclopedias, broadcasting, film, history, philosophy, law and many other forms of communication.

Definition of Prose Literary Term

• Prose is ordinary language that people use in writing such as poetry, stories, editorials, books, etc. The word prose is derived from the Latin word 'prosa' meaning straightforward. 
• Prose comes in two types of text - narrative and expository. Narrative text is defined as "something that is narrated such as a story. Expository text is non-fiction reading material such as Description, Analysis, Classification etc.

What is prose in literature?

• Prose is a type of literature that is written expression without a formal pattern of verse or meter (as opposed to poetry).
• Prose is any literature that is not written in what?
• Prose is any literature that is not written in poetic form. In other words, prose generally resembles everyday speech, whereas poetry does not.

How does literature reflect the time in which it is written?

• Literature can reflect the time in which it was written in several ways:
• expression: language is always evolving, so writing style can be typical of a particular period. This can apply to vocabulary, sentence construction and even spelling.
• themes and concerns: historical events, prevailing ideas, developments in science, ideas an out religion or politics, social conventions, all make up a writer's background, and are reflected in the sorts of subjects he chooses and the way he treats them. Thus you have the Romantic poets who were affected by the industrial revolution, and turned to nature, or Shakespeare's plays which are influenced by the renaissance.
• forms: certain forms or genres are typical of certain periods: tragedy and comedy in Elizabethan times, novels in the 18th and 19th century.

Example of prose literature

• The types of prose literature include drama (Script play), articles, novels (fiction), and short stories.

What are the differences between prose and literature?

• Prose is a subheading of literature. There are two, the second being poetry. Prose is anything written as we would speak.
• Literature, in its broadest definition, is anything written down. Specifically, it is everything from novels to short stories, including drama, poetry, and nonfiction.