In general, prose refers to the use of natural speech patterns in written work; however, it can also refer to any writing that isn’t poetry or something else (such as a play). A story that is told in verse form is not prose because it does not use natural speech patterns; however, it would still be considered literature.
The word “prose” comes from the Latin phrase prosa poesis meaning “straight forward.”
Prose differs from poetry in the way it’s written. Poetry can be written in meter or using rhyme schemes. It usually contains more figurative language than prose does and often relies on imagery to convey meaning. The prose is written in everyday language without any set rhythm or meter. It’s more direct than poetry because it doesn’t rely on figures of speech or elaborate metaphors to get its point across.
A lot of people think that prose only refers to fiction writing, but that isn’t true at all! Prose also refers to non-fiction writing as well as other forms of narrative writing such as plays and screenplays.
In literature, there are two main types of prose: narrative (storytelling) and expository (informational) texts. A prose can be any length; it could be as short as a paragraph or as long as an entire book.
Prose generally does not contain figurative language or have a rhythmical structure. It does not use rhyme or meter (though some prose does).
