What makes Prose a Poem rather than Fiction/Story?

[KillerMuffin]

I've seen a few prose poems in the new poems list in the last year or so and I've wondered what your take is on it. What's a prose poem? What's the difference between a prose poem and a story? What are the characteristics of prose poetry?

 

[EroticOrogeny]

I may not know what I'm taqlking about, but ...

I've seen a few prose poems in the new poems list in the last year or so and I've wondered what your take is on it. What's a prose poem? What's the difference between a prose poem and a story? What are the characteristics of prose poetry?

Much of my earlier work is rather prosodic, but does have some poetic elements (or at least so my wife says). Some differences might be length, with the prose poems being more compact and focused. Another difference may be greater use of poetic devices, such as alliteration and metaphor. I hadn't really realized that I had sentences and paragraphs more than lines and stanzas. I've been trying the survivor challenge and the exercise may help me improve, not so much the use of form but a more distilled verbal essence of my thoughts and feelings.

 

[GuiltyPleasure]

The language, surely.

 

[Senna Jawa]

The language, surely.

I wouldn't be so sure.

 

[Angeline]

The language, surely.

I tend to agree with you, but that would make much of Virginia Woolf's and James Joyce's writings poetry rather than prose. Or consider Yeats' plays: drama or poetry?

This is a great question KM. I certainly struggle with it in my own poetry, which is usually pretty narrative and but for the lowly line break could be prose. I tend to think (and this may be my compromise) that a poem, like any creative work, is a poem if the person who wrote it says it is.

Otoh, what's really bugging me today is that opening day at Fenway Park is prolly gonna be rained out, damnit!

 

[EroticOrogeny]

I tend to agree with you, but that would make much of Virginia Woolf's and James Joyce's writings poetry rather than prose. Or consider Yeats' plays: drama or poetry?

This is a great question KM. I certainly struggle with it in my own poetry, which is usually pretty narrative and but for the lowly line break could be prose. I tend to think (and this may be my compromise) that a poem, like any creative work, is a poem if the person who wrote it says it is.

I'm not sure I'd characterize your poems as is that narrative. THey seem to ahve a lot of emotive imagery.

Otoh, what's really bugging me today is that opening day at Fenway Park is prolly gonna be rained out, damnit!

And it's supposed to be below 60 for the Astro's opener tonight! With so many rounds of playoffs there shoud be fewer games since baseball's not a cold-weather sport. But all this probably belong on another thread.

 

[Middleagepoet]

Density...

 

[Liar]

Density...

Heh, I was just scrolling down to say that.

 

[Angeline]

I'm not sure I'd characterize your poems as is that narrative. THey seem to ahve a lot of emotive imagery.


And it's supposed to be below 60 for the Astro's opener tonight! With so many rounds of playoffs there shoud be fewer games since baseball's not a cold-weather sport. But all this probably belong on another thread.

Thank you for reading my poems. I write different sorts of poems. Some are more music based, where my goal is to try to convey the sound of the music or artist, some is more emotive, but a lot is quite narrative imo. If you were to read Chambers Street or Lodz, for example, you'd see what I mean about my narrative poems. Least I think you would.

Oh, and although I didn't get to see the Red Sox play today, I am getting to watch the Yankees lose which might be even better!

 

[AoNoDoY]

I think a short story could be considered a form of poetry.

 

[EroticOrogeny]

Thank you for reading my poems. I write different sorts of poems. Some are more music based, where my goal is to try to convey the sound of the music or artist, some is more emotive, but a lot is quite narrative imo. If you were to read Chambers Street or Lodz, for example, you'd see what I mean about my narrative poems. Least I think you would.

Oh, and although I didn't get to see the Red Sox play today, I am getting to watch the Yankees lose which might be even better!

Yes, I see what you mean, some are quite narrative.
Not sure about the music, at least as read quietly at the computer. That may be me, too.

My number one team is the White Sox, followed by the Cubs (guess where I grew up).

 

[Angeline]

Yes, I see what you mean, some are quite narrative.
Not sure about the music, at least as read quietly at the computer. That may be me, too.

My number one team is the White Sox, followed by the Cubs (guess where I grew up).

Mr. President, is that you?

 

[EroticOrogeny]

Mr. President, is that you?

No, he's a lawyer, I'm a scientist.

 

[ishtat]

With one or two I have read it looked as though they were stories which had failed to meet the limit for the minimum number of words.

That aside I don't agree with Angeline that a piece of writing is necessarily a poem just because that was the writers intention. Writers can screw up, at least I can.

 

[Angeline]

No, he's a lawyer, I'm a scientist.

I figured as much but the idea of the Pres on the Lit poetry forum did amuse me.

With one or two I have read it looked as though they were stories which had failed to meet the limit for the minimum number of words.

That aside I don't agree with Angeline that a piece of writing is necessarily a poem just because that was the writers intention. Writers can screw up, at least I can.

Well dear Ishtat, my position comes from being worn down by people arguing at me that what they wrote is indeed "poetry." In reality since my own perspective is the only one I can have, I guess it's a poem if I think it's a poem. I've heard the "density" argument, and I understand it, but it still doesn't answer for the many pieces of "prose," even in the literary canon, that are certainly dense enough to qualify as poetry. When one is discussing art, imo anyway, categorization often defies description.

And it's always lovely to see you here.

 

[ishtat]

I figured as much but the idea of the Pres on the Lit poetry forum did amuse me.



Well dear Ishtat, my position comes from being worn down by people arguing at me that what they wrote is indeed "poetry." In reality since my own perspective is the only one I can have, I guess it's a poem if I think it's a poem. I've heard the "density" argument, and I understand it, but it still doesn't answer for the many pieces of "prose," even in the literary canon, that are certainly dense enough to qualify as poetry. When one is discussing art, imo anyway, categorization often defies description.

And it's always lovely to see you here.

Point taken. Your last comment reminded me of TS Eliot's comments on Kipling in his introduction to Kiblings "verse". As i remember he identified K as a fine prose writer, a great balladeer and verse writer and particularly commented on his great hymn "Recessional" ; but he seemed less convinced of K as a poet. Then having completed his essay he also seemed to have reservations about his methodology of categorization. I always remember Eliot's analysis as a fine piece of writing about writing not least because he was careful about precipitate and definitive judgements.

I hope to be around a little more in future having spent the last two years . completing a decidedly non fictional book for publication.