What are prose poems?

[vampiredust]

I'm a bit confused about what they are. A friend asked me yesterday if her poems could be considered prose poems. I've always thought they were prose condensed into a poetic form.

But I'm a little confused since there are no clear boundaries about this. Both poetry and prose have overlapping elements such as the use of similes and metaphor, imagery, concrete details, even experimental structure.

Is there a straightforward definition of prose poetry? how can you tell if a poem is a prose poem or a regular one?

 

[WickedEve]

We've had prose poem threads in the past. I'll see if I can find one for you. I remember them having good info on this topic. Of course, I'm sure you'll get some great responses very soon. We do have some poets who understand what a prose poem is and needs to be.
I believe it basically looks, maybe reads, like a short story, but at the same time it is poetic. I'm sure there is more to it than that, though.

 

[Tzara]

Is there a straightforward definition of prose poetry? how can you tell if a poem is a prose poem or a regular one?

The simplest (though perhaps overly simplistic) definition that I've seen is that a prose poem is a poem without line breaks.

Ted Kooser says this about them:

Prose poems require the same amount of care that lined verse requires, but the writer of a prose poem forgoes the tool of line endings, and a line ending is a powerful tool. That open space out there at the end of a line of verse is a kind of punctuation. It can control the manner in which the reader is drawn through the poem. Even though the prose poem author puts aside this important tool, he or she gains another tool, which is to take advantage of the ease and confidence with which a reader approaches prose as opposed to poetry.​

 

[Gutterslut]

Poetry is different mainly by the structure.

Something that is
typed like
this
is considered a poem.
And it's usually shorter sentences, etc.

But then when it is all out like a short story, thats like a prose. Its so hard for me to explain it, even though thats all I write [mostly prose, some poetry too though]

<3 Hope that helps a little.

 

[Angeline]

I'm a bit confused about what they are. A friend asked me yesterday if her poems could be considered prose poems. I've always thought they were prose condensed into a poetic form.

But I'm a little confused since there are no clear boundaries about this. Both poetry and prose have overlapping elements such as the use of similes and metaphor, imagery, concrete details, even experimental structure.

Is there a straightforward definition of prose poetry? how can you tell if a poem is a prose poem or a regular one?

Here's a link to an article at Webdelsol that discusses the evolution of the prose poem and cites a bunch of poets who write them. I think it's a good place to start exploring.

Prose Poetry

Hope this helps, Dusty.