0
  • LOGIN

  • No products in the cart.

LIT/A/1: Prose

Prose is a form of language that has no formal metrical structure. It applies a natural flow of speech, and ordinary grammatical structure, rather than rhythmic structure, such as in the case of traditional poetry.
Back to Course

Definition of Prose

Prose is a communicative style that sounds natural and uses grammatical structure. Prose is the opposite of verse, or poetry, which employs a rhythmic structure that does not mimic ordinary speech. There is, however, some poetry called “prose poetry” that uses elements of prose while adding in poetic techniques such as heightened emotional content, high frequency of metaphors, and juxtaposition of contrasting images. Most forms of writing and speaking are done in prose, including short stories and novels, journalism, academic writing, and regular conversations.

The word “prose” comes from the Latin expression prosa oratio, which means straightforward or direct speech. Due to the definition of prose referring to straightforward communication, “prosaic” has come to mean dull and commonplace discourse. When used as a literary term, however, prose does not carry this connotation.

Common Examples of Prose

Everything that is not poetry is prose. Therefore, every utterance or written word that is not in the form of verse is an example of prose. Here are some different formats that prose comes in:

  • Casual dialogue: “Hi, how are you?” “I’m fine, how are you?” “Fine, thanks.”
  • Oration: I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. –Martin Luther King, Jr.
  • Dictionary definition: Prose (n)—the ordinary form of spoken or written language, without metrical structure, as distinguished from poetry or verse.
  • Philosophical texts: Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you. –Friedrich Nietzsche
  • Journalism: State and local officials were heavily criticized for their response to the January 2014 storm that created a traffic nightmare and left some motorists stranded for 18 hours or more.

Significance of Prose in Literature

Much of the world’s literature is written in a prose style. However, this was not always the case. Ancient Greek dramas, religious texts, and old epic poetry were all usually written in verse. Verse is much more highly stylized than prose. In literature, prose became popular as a way to express more realistic dialogues and present narration in a more straightforward style. With very few exceptions, all novels and short stories are written in prose.

Examples of Prose in Literature

Example #1

I shall never be fool enough to turn knight-errant. For I see quite well that it’s not the fashion now to do as they did in the olden days when they say those famous knights roamed the world.

(Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes)

Don Quixote is often considered the forerunner of the modern novel, and here we can see Cervantes’s prose style as being very direct with some sarcasm.

Example #2

The ledge, where I placed my candle, had a few mildewed books piled up in one corner; and it was covered with writing scratched on the paint. This writing, however, was nothing but a name repeated in all kinds of characters, large and small—Catherine Earnshaw, here and there varied to Catherine Heathcliff, and then again to Catherine Linton. In vapid listlessness I leant my head against the window, and continued spelling over Catherine Earnshaw—Heathcliff—Linton, till my eyes closed; but they had not rested five minutes when a glare of white letters started from the dark, as vivid as spectres—the air swarmed with Catherines; and rousing myself to dispel the obtrusive name, I discovered my candle wick reclining on one of the antique volumes, and perfuming the place with an odour of roasted calf-skin.

(Wuthering Heights by Charlotte Brontë)

In this prose example from Charlotte Brontë we hear from the narrator, who is focused on the character of Catherine and her fate. The prose style mimics his obsession in its long, winding sentences.

Example #3

“I never know you was so brave, Jim,” she went on comfortingly. “You is just like big mans; you wait for him lift his head and then you go for him. Ain’t you feel scared a bit? Now we take that snake home and show everybody. Nobody ain’t seen in this kawn-tree so big snake like you kill.”

(My Antonia by Willa Cather)

In this excerpt from My Antonia, Willa Cather uses her prose to suggest the sound of Antonia’s English. She is a recent immigrant and as the book progresses her English improves, yet never loses the flavor of being a non-native speaker.

Example #4

Robert Cohn was once middleweight boxing champion of Princeton. Do not think I am very much impressed by that as a boxing title, but it meant a lot to Cohn. He cared nothing for boxing, in fact he disliked it, but he learned it painfully and thoroughly to counteract the feeling of inferiority and shyness he had felt on being treated as a Jew at Princeton.

(The Sun also Rises by Ernest Hemingway)

Ernest Hemingway wrote his prose in a very direct and straightforward manner. This excerpt from The Sun Also Rises demonstrates the directness in which he wrote–there is no subtlety to the narrator’s remark “Do not think I am very much impressed by that as a boxing title.”

Example #5

The Lighthouse was then a silvery, misty-looking tower with a yellow eye, that opened suddenly, and softly in the evening. Now—
James looked at the Lighthouse. He could see the white-washed rocks; the tower, stark and straight; he could see that it was barred with black and white; he could see windows in it; he could even see washing spread on the rocks to dry. So that was the Lighthouse, was it?
No, the other was also the Lighthouse. For nothing was simply one thing. The other Lighthouse was true too.

(To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf)

Virginia Woolf was noted for her stream-of-consciousness prose style. This excerpt from To the Lighthousedemonstrates her style of writing in the same way that thoughts occur to a normal person.

Example #6

And if sometimes, on the steps of a palace or the green grass of a ditch, in the mournful solitude of your room, you wake again, drunkenness already diminishing or gone, ask the wind, the wave, the star, the bird, the clock, everything that is flying, everything that is groaning, everything that is rolling, everything that is singing, everything that is speaking. . .ask what time it is and wind, wave, star, bird, clock will answer you: “It is time to be drunk! So as not to be the martyred slaves of time, be drunk, be continually drunk! On wine, on poetry or on virtue as you wish.”

(“Be Drunk” by Charles Baudelaire)

Unlike the previous examples, this is an example of a prose poem. Note that it is written in a fluid way that uses regular grammar and rhythm, yet has an inarguably poetic sense to it

Example of a Poetry Verse vs. the Prose Form

Following is a poetry verse from a popular work of Robert Frost:

“The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.”

(Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, by Robert Frost)

Prose Form

Following is the same sentiment written in prose form:

“The woods look lovely against the setting darkness and as I gaze into the mysterious depths of the forest, I feel like lingering here longer. However, I have pending appointments to keep, and much distance to cover before I settle in for the night, or else I will be late for all of them.”

The above paragraph is conveying a similar message, but it is conveyed in ordinary language, without a formal metrical structure to bind it.

Some Common Types of Prose

  1. Nonfictional Prose: A literary work that is mainly based on fact, though it may contain fictional elements in certain cases. Examples include biographies and essays.
  2. Fictional Prose: A literary work that is wholly or partly imagined or theoretical. Examples are novels.
  3. Heroic Prose: A literary work that may be written down or recited, and which employs many of the formulaic expressions found in oral tradition. Examples are legends and tales.
  4. Prose Poetry: A literary work that exhibits poetic quality – using emotional effects and heightened imagery – but which are written in prose instead of verse.

Examples of Prose in Literature

Prose in Novels

This is usually written in the form of a narrative, and may be entirely a figment of the author’s imagination.

Example #1: 1984 (By George Orwell)

“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.”

Example #2: David Copperfield (By Charles Dickens)

“Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.”

Example #3: Anna Karenina (By Leo Tolstoy)

“Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

These examples of prose have been taken from novels, where the writers have employed their imaginations. They are examples of fictional prose.

Prose in Speeches

Prose used in speeches often expresses thoughts and ideas of the speaker.

Example #4: No Easy Walk to Freedom speech (By Nelson Mandela)

“You can see that there is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow (of death) again and again before we reach the mountain tops of our desires.”

Example #5: Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech (By Mother Teresa)

“The poor are very great people. They can teach us so many beautiful things.”

Example #6: Equal Rights for Women speech (By U.S. Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm)

“As for the marriage laws, they are due for a sweeping reform, and an excellent beginning would be to wipe the existing ones off the books.”

These prose examples have been taken from speeches where the writing is often crisp and persuasive, and suits the occasion to convey a specific message.

Prose in Plays

Prose written in plays aims to be dramatic and eventful.

Example #7: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (By Tennessee Williams)

“You can be young without money, but you can’t be old without it.”

Example #8: As You Like It (By William Shakespeare)

“All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players. “

Prose in plays is often in conversational mode and is delivered by a character. However, its style stays the same throughout the play according to the personality of the character.

Function of Prose

While there have been many critical debates over the correct and valid construction of prose, the reason for its adoption can be attributed to its loosely-defined structure, which most writers feel comfortable using when expressing or conveying their ideas and thoughts. It is the standard style of writing used for most spoken dialogues, fictional as well as topical and factual writing, and discourses. It is also the common language used in newspapers, magazines, literature, encyclopedias, broadcasting, philosophy, law, history, the sciences, and many other forms of communication.

Most Common Literary Terms and Devices – English 11

  1. Alliteration. This is one of the easiest go-to devices to use. Alliteration involves the quick repetition of the first letters, and therefore the first sounds, of words.
    • The white witch wanted to write a new spell.
    • New aunt Anita aimed to avoid annoying her tired sister.
  2. Personification. Giving inanimate objects and other phenomena human traits.
    • The leaves danced in the wind, twirling round and round before bowing out and resting on the cold ground.
  3. Simile. Comparing two unrelated things to creating new understanding and meaning. They are marked by the use of “like,” “as,”or “such as.”
    • She ran like the wind.
    • His eyes were as blue as the sky.
  4. Foreshadowing. Words, phrases, or events that hint or suggest to the reader what’s going to happen in the story.
    • In To Kill a Mockingbird, finding the presents in the oak tree foreshadows the truth about Boo Radley.
    • Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” foreshadows the narrator’s actions from the start of the story: I can’t say how the idea first entered my brain, but once it was there, it haunted me day and night. There wasn’t any reason for it. I liked the old man.
  5.  Satire. Using humor, wit, or sarcasm to expose human vice or folly.
    • In television, the creators of South Park have built their success on satire.
    • My favorite example is Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal.”
  6. Symbolism. Using objects or action to mean something more than what appears on the surface.
    • The dawn of a new day often is used to symbolize a new beginning.
    • The albatross in in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” symbolizes a burden: Ah ! well a-day ! what evil looks / Had I from old and young ! / Instead of the cross, the Albatross / About my neck was hung
    • In daily life, people often associate colors with ideas. Black with death. Red with love. White with purity or peace.
  7. Onomatopoeia. Words whose sound mimics natural sounds or sounds of an object. These words help bring the reader into the scene by working on the senses.
    • Bang! Flutter. Buzzzzz! Hum.
    • The birds tweet in chipper chatter outside the window.
    • A loud bang jarred me from sleep.
  8. Metaphor. A device that asserts that one object is another, bringing new meaning to the original subject for a fresh understanding.
    • A common metaphor: it’s raining cats and dogs.
    • From Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”: But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? / It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
    • Advertising is the rattling of a stick inside a swill bucket. – George Orwell
  9. Hyperbole. Exaggerating a statement or idea to emphasize a point or emotion.
    • If I take another step, my feet will fall off.
    • She’s so thin she could thread a needle.
    • If his teeth were any whiter, I’d be blind.
  10.  Oxymoron. A device that puts two contradictory ideas together to create complex meaning. (See top photo)
    • Their relationship was an open secret.
    • The sight of the living dead shuffling below sent a blazing chill down her spine.
    • It’s hard to explain that comforting pain to those who don’t understand.

  11. Allusion

Allusion is when an author makes an indirect reference to a figure, place, event, or idea originating from outside the text. Many allusions make reference to previous works of literature or art.

Example: “Stop acting so smart—it’s not like you’re Einstein or something.” This is an allusion to the famous real-life theoretical physicist Albert Einstein.

Anachronism

An anachronism occurs when there is an (intentional) error in the chronology or timeline of a text. This could be a character who appears in a different time period than when he actually lived, or a technology that appears before it was invented. Anachronisms are often used for comedic effect.

Example: A Renaissance king who says, “That’s dope, dude!” would be an anachronism, since this type of language is very modern and not actually from the Renaissance period.

Colloquialism

Colloquialism is the use of informal language and slang. It’s often used by authors to lend a sense of realism to their characters and dialogue. Forms of colloquialism include words, phrases, and contractions that aren’t real words (such as “gonna” and “ain’t”).

Example: “Hey, what’s up, man?” This piece of dialogue is an example of a colloquialism, since it uses common everyday words and phrases, namely “what’s up” and “man.”

 

Epigraph

An epigraph is when an author inserts a famous quotation, poem, song, or other short passage or text at the beginning of a larger text (e.g., a book, chapter, etc.). An epigraph is typically written by a different writer (with credit given) and used as a way to introduce overarching themes or messages in the work. Some pieces of literature, such as Herman Melville’s 1851 novel Moby-Dick, incorporate multiple epigraphs throughout.

Example: At the beginning of Ernest Hemingway’s book The Sun Also Rises is an epigraph that consists of a quotation from poet Gertrude Stein, which reads, “You are all a lost generation,” and a passage from the Bible.

Euphemism

A euphemism is when a more mild or indirect word or expression is used in place of another word or phrase that is considered harsh, blunt, vulgar, or unpleasant.

Example: “I’m so sorry, but he didn’t make it.” The phrase “didn’t make it” is a more polite and less blunt way of saying that someone has died.

 

Flashback

A flashback is an interruption in a narrative that depicts events that have already occurred, either before the present time or before the time at which the narration takes place. This device is often used to give the reader more background information and details about specific characters, events, plot points, and so on.

Example: Most of the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë is a flashback from the point of view of the housekeeper, Nelly Dean, as she engages in a conversation with a visitor named Lockwood. In this story, Nelly narrates Catherine Earnshaw’s and Heathcliff’s childhoods, the pair’s budding romance, and their tragic demise.

 

Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing is when an author indirectly hints at—through things such as dialogue, description, or characters’ actions—what’s to come later on in the story. This device is often used to introduce tension to a narrative.

Example: Say you’re reading a fictionalized account of Amelia Earhart. Before she embarks on her (what we know to be unfortunate) plane ride, a friend says to her, “Be safe. Wouldn’t want you getting lost—or worse.” This line would be an example of foreshadowing because it implies that something bad (“or worse”) will happen to Earhart.

 

Hyperbole

Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement that’s not meant to be taken literally by the reader. It is often used for comedic effect and/or emphasis.

Example: “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.” The speaker will not literally eat an entire horse (and most likely couldn’t), but this hyperbole emphasizes how starved the speaker feels.

 

Imagery

Imagery is when an author describes a scene, thing, or idea so that it appeals to our senses (taste, smell, sight, touch, or hearing). This device is often used to help the reader clearly visualize parts of the story by creating a strong mental picture.

Example: Here’s an example of imagery taken from William Wordsworth’s famous poem “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”:

When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden Daffodils;
Beside the Lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

 

Irony

Irony is when a statement is used to express an opposite meaning than the one literally expressed by it. There are three types of irony in literature:

  • Verbal irony: When someone says something but means the opposite (similar to sarcasm).
  • Situational irony: When something happens that’s the opposite of what was expected or intended to happen.
  • Dramatic irony: When the audience is aware of the true intentions or outcomes, while the characters are not. As a result, certain actions and/or events take on different meanings for the audience than they do for the characters involved.

Examples:

  • Verbal irony: One example of this type of irony can be found in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado.” In this short story, a man named Montresor plans to get revenge on another man named Fortunato. As they toast, Montresor says, “And I, Fortunato—I drink to your long life.” This statement is ironic because we the readers already know by this point that Montresor plans to kill Fortunato.
  • Situational irony: A girl wakes up late for school and quickly rushes to get there. As soon as she arrives, though, she realizes that it’s Saturday and there is no school.
  • Dramatic irony: In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Romeo commits suicide in order to be with Juliet; however, the audience (unlike poor Romeo) knows that Juliet is not actually dead—just asleep.

 

Juxtaposition

Juxtaposition is the comparing and contrasting of two or more different (usually opposite) ideas, characters, objects, etc. This literary device is often used to help create a clearer picture of the characteristics of one object or idea by comparing it with those of another.

Example: One of the most famous literary examples of juxtaposition is the opening passage from Charles Dickens’ novel A Tale of Two Cities:

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair …”

Malapropism

Malapropism happens when an incorrect word is used in place of a word that has a similar sound. This misuse of the word typically results in a statement that is both nonsensical and humorous; as a result, this device is commonly used in comedic writing.

Example: “I just can’t wait to dance the flamingo!” Here, a character has accidentally called the flamenco (a type of dance) the flamingo (an animal).

 

Metaphor/Simile

Metaphors are when ideas, actions, or objects are described in non-literal terms. In short, it’s when an author compares one thing to another. The two things being described usually share something in common but are unalike in all other respects.

A simile is a type of metaphor in which an object, idea, character, action, etc., is compared to another thing using the words “as” or “like.”

Both metaphors and similes are often used in writing for clarity or emphasis.

Examples:

“What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.” In this line from Romeo and Juliet, Romeo compares Juliet to the sun. However, because Romeo doesn’t use the words “as” or “like,” it is not a simile—just a metaphor.

“She is as vicious as a lion.” Since this statement uses the word “as” to make a comparison between “she” and “a lion,” it is a simile.

 

Metonym

A metonym is when a related word or phrase is substituted for the actual thing to which it’s referring. This device is usually used for poetic or rhetorical effect.

Example: “The pen is mightier than the sword.” This statement, which was coined by Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839, contains two examples of metonymy: “the pen” refers to “the written word,” and “the sword” refers to “military force/violence.”

 

Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is a word (or group of words) that represents a sound and actually resembles or imitates the sound it stands for. It is often used for dramatic, realistic, or poetic effect.

Examples: Buzz, boom, chirp, creak, sizzle, zoom, etc.

 

Oxymoron

An oxymoron is a combination of two words that, together, express a contradictory meaning. This device is often used for emphasis, for humor, to create tension, or to illustrate a paradox (see next entry for more information on paradoxes).

Examples: Deafening silence, organized chaos, cruelly kind, insanely logical, etc.

Paradox

A paradox is a statement that appears illogical or self-contradictory but, upon investigation, might actually be true or plausible. 

Note that a paradox is different from an oxymoron: a paradox is an entire phrase or sentence,whereas an oxymoron is a combination of just two words.

Example: Here’s a famous paradoxical sentence: “This statement is false.” If the statement is true, then it isn’t actually false (as it suggests). But if it’s false, then the statement is true! Thus, this statement is a paradox because it is both true and false at the same time.

 

Personification

Personification is when a nonhuman figure or other abstract concept or element is given human-like qualities or characteristics. It is used to help the reader create a clearer mental picture of the scene or object being described.

Example: “The wind moaned, beckoning me to come outside.” In this example, the wind—a nonhuman element—is being described as if it is human (it “moans” and “beckons”).

 

Repetition

Repetition is when a word or phrase is written multiple times, usually for the purpose of emphasis. It is often used in poetry (for purposes of rhythm as well).

Example: When Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the score for the hit musical Hamilton, gave his speech at the 2016 Tony’s, he recited a poem he’d written that included the following line:

And love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love cannot be killed or swept aside.

 

Soliloquy

A type of monologue that’s often used in dramas, a soliloquy is when a character speaks aloud to himself (and to the audience), thereby revealing his inner thoughts and feelings.

Example: In Romeo and Juliet, Juliet’s speech on the balcony that begins with, “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?” is a soliloquy, as she is speaking aloud to herself(remember that she doesn’t realize Romeo’s there listening!).

 

Symbolism

Symbolism refers to the use of an object, figure, event, situation, or other idea in a written work to represent something else—typically a broader message or deeper meaning that differs from its literal meaning.

The things used for symbolism are called “symbols,” and they’ll often appear multiple times throughout a text, sometimes changing in meaning as the plot progresses.

Example: In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby, the green light that sits across from Gatsby’s mansion symbolizes Gatsby’s hopes and dreams.

 

Synecdoche

A synecdoche is a literary device in which part of something is used to represent the whole, or vice versa. It’s similar to a metonym (see above); however, a metonym doesn’t have to represent the whole—just something associated with the word used.

Example: “Help me out, I need some hands!” In this case, “hands” is being used to refer to people (the whole human, essentially).

 

 

Courses

Featured Downloads

af Afrikaanssq Albanianam Amharicar Arabichy Armenianaz Azerbaijanieu Basquebe Belarusianbn Bengalibs Bosnianbg Bulgarianca Catalanceb Cebuanony Chichewazh-CN Chinese (Simplified)zh-TW Chinese (Traditional)co Corsicanhr Croatiancs Czechda Danishnl Dutchen Englisheo Esperantoet Estoniantl Filipinofi Finnishfr Frenchfy Frisiangl Galicianka Georgiande Germanel Greekgu Gujaratiht Haitian Creoleha Hausahaw Hawaiianiw Hebrewhi Hindihmn Hmonghu Hungarianis Icelandicig Igboid Indonesianga Irishit Italianja Japanesejw Javanesekn Kannadakk Kazakhkm Khmerko Koreanku Kurdish (Kurmanji)ky Kyrgyzlo Laola Latinlv Latvianlt Lithuanianlb Luxembourgishmk Macedonianmg Malagasyms Malayml Malayalammt Maltesemi Maorimr Marathimn Mongolianmy Myanmar (Burmese)ne Nepalino Norwegianps Pashtofa Persianpl Polishpt Portuguesepa Punjabiro Romanianru Russiansm Samoangd Scottish Gaelicsr Serbianst Sesothosn Shonasd Sindhisi Sinhalask Slovaksl Slovenianso Somalies Spanishsu Sundanesesw Swahilisv Swedishtg Tajikta Tamilte Teluguth Thaitr Turkishuk Ukrainianur Urduuz Uzbekvi Vietnamesecy Welshxh Xhosayi Yiddishyo Yorubazu Zulu
en English