Prose is written communication that follows standard grammatical structure and natural speech patterns, unlike poetry which uses meter, rhyme, and other stylistic conventions. Prose encompasses many types of writing like stories, essays, news articles, speeches, and more. It is characterized by use of full paragraphs, a focus on telling a story or sharing information rather than using imagery or metaphor, and generally having characters and a plot.

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Characteristics of Prose
The word “prose” derived from the Latin word prose or providers oratio “Straightforward
discourse
• Prose has no intentional structural meter.
• Prose is written in paragraphs and chapters.
• It is made up of characters and incidences that are organized in a chronological order.
• “Prose” is an inclusive term for all discourse, spoken or written, which is not patterned into the
lines either of metric verse or of free verse.
• Prose differs from poetry or verse.
• Prose has no metrical roles.
• The spontaneous and colloquial language used in the prose.
• Prose writings have liberty.
• Prose may be spoken or written.
• Prose has not restricted in rhythm, measure or rhyme.
Prose is a form or technique of language that exhibits a natural flow of
speech and grammatical structure. Novels, textbooks and newspaper articles are all examples of
prose. The word prose is frequently used in opposition to traditional poetry.
Prose is a form of language that exhibits a grammatical structure and a natural flow of speech
rather than a rhythmic structure (as in traditional poetry). While there are critical debates on the
construction of prose, its simplicity and loosely defined structure have led to its adoption for use
in the majority of spoken dialogue, factual discourse and both topical and fictional writing. It is
commonly used, for example, in literature, newspapers, magazines, encyclopedias, broadcasting,
film, history, philosophy, law and other forms of communication.
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. Normal every day speech is spoken in prose and most people think and write in prose
form. Prose comprises of full grammatical sentences which consist of paragraphs and forgoes
aesthetic appeal in favor of clear, straightforward language.

2. 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
• 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.
• Dictionary Definition: Prose (n) the ordinary form of spoken or written language,
without metrical structure, as distinguished from poetry or verse.
Characteristics of Prose:
• Written in paragraphs.
• Tells a story rather than describes an image or metaphor.
• Generally has characters and a plot.
Characteristics of prose can be broken into four categories, divided by purpose:
1. Narrative: writing which tells a story (can be fiction or non-fiction); usually told in
chronological order; has characters; follows the basic plot-line – exposition, rising action,
climax, falling action.
2. Expository: gives basic information; used often in speeches and essays; does not tell a story
or argue.
3. Descriptive: describes something in detail, again without telling a story or arguing a point;
used most often in combination with another mode of writing, but alone is often found in
scientific or medical reports.
4. Persuasive: argues a point (or two sides of a question); gives evidence in favor or against.

3. Some Common Types of Prose
1. Nonfictional Prose: A literary work that is mainly based on fact although it may contain
fictional elements in certain cases. Examples are 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 employs many of the
formulaic expressions found in oral tradition. Examples are legends and tales.
4. Prose Poetry: A literary work which exhibits poetic quality using emotional effects and
heightened imagery but are written in prose instead of verse.
Features of Prose
The elements of prose are: character, plot, setting, theme, and style. Of these five elements,
character is the ‘who’, plot is the ‘what’, setting is the ‘where’ and ‘when’, theme is the ‘why’, and
style is the ‘how’ of a story.
A character is any person, personal, identity, or entity whose existence originates from a fictional
work or performance.
A plot, or story line, is the rendering and ordering of the events and actions of a story, particularly
towards the achievement of some particular artistic or emotional effect.
Setting is the time and location in which a story takes place.
Theme is the broad idea, message, or lesson of a story.
Style includes the multitude of choices fiction writers make, consciously or subconsciously, as
they create a story. They encompass the big-picture, strategic choices of grammar, punctuation,
word usage, sentence and paragraph length and structure, tone and the use of imagery, chapter
selection, titles, and on and on. In the process of writing a story, these choices set to become the
writer’s voice, his or her own unique style.