Page 22 - Journeys C1 (Student Book)

2 Lıterature

Prose and poetry are two forms of literature. The main
differences are in the structure of the text and the purpose
of the writing.

Prose is generally more straightforward and pragmatic.
It conveys information or tells a story. It is constructed in
sentences and paragraphs, which are usually grammatically
accurate and linked together with cohesive devices. Prose
may be fictional or non-fictional. It can include narrative,
dialogue, expository text and much more. However, ultimately
the main purpose of prose is usually to convey information, be
it in the form of a story, a news report, an opinion, biography,
blog and so on.

Poetry is a more creative and imaginative style of writing. For
a start, it appears differently on a page. The text is broken
up into lines and stanzas, so that the text not only imparts
information but also incorporates elements of rhythm. Even
the appearance of the text on the page contributes to the
creativity of the poem’s message. Some poems follow a
fixed format, such as the sonnet, which has a fixed rhyming
sequence, and a fixed structure of 14 lines, each with ten
syllables. The syllables also have a specific metre, that is, the
pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. Sonnets use a
meter known as the iamb, in which syllables are alternately
stressed and unstressed. Other poetic meters exist, such as
the dactyl, in which one stressed syllable is followed by two
unstressed syllables, such as in the word Fly-a-way, or the
anapest, where two unstressed syllables are followed by a
stressed syllable, such as in the phrase at the top of a hill.
Sonnets also have a strict structure of rhyme.
However, not all poems rhyme or have a strict rhythm, so it
is sometimes difficult to define what poetry actually is. Some
people might say it uses more figurative language, but
prose can contain just as many similes, metaphors, before
elements of personification as a poem, and use sound
patterns like alliteration and onomatopoeia; while poetry
can be purposefully stark and bland in its choice of words.
Another suggestion for distinguishing between the two is
that the purpose of prose is to convey a message while the
purpose of poetry is to convey experiences and feelings.
However, that definition, too, seems to undermine the sensual
nature of some prose and limit the purpose of poetry. It is
strange that texts that we can immediately recognise as
poetry and prose, are so difficult to define.

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