Prose Poetry is What?!

[ofcatslives]

In reading the entries of my classmates and group 'E' members, I have noticed a varying degree of writing styles. What I have noticed most is that I am writing much more formally than others. This is a style I wish to continue using; however, for this entry I will attempt to write less formally. My entires will of course return to normal as of

Comments

[roger_kuin]

Great choice -- how good to see Don Marquis again. Not quite prose poetry perhaps, as it's cut up into free-verse lines; but close enough. (And archy has an excuse for the lines -- he occasionally jumps on the Return key.)
By the way, I did not say prose poetry was "extended free verse": I said it was the extension of the principle of free verse -- not quite the same thing. "Extended free verse" would mean free verse prolonged to a greater length; the extension of the principle means that if you remove rhyme and metre, there is no intrinsic reason why you should not remove line-divisions also, especially when (as in much free verse) these have come to seem rather arbitrary.

[ofcatslives]

Thanks! I will correct my notes on the topic of "extended free verse".
Janice

[tricia_stewart]

Wonderful post Janice! I found it interesting and cute as well as humorous. The image of a cockroach, which I have turned into a cartoon in my mind as real cockroaches tend to scare me a little, labourously typing away with its whole body in order to get out its message made me laugh quite a bit while I was reading the poem. As for what category of writing it falls into, I'm not exactly sure. My best guess would be prose poetry but as the Prof has already said that this is not quite the case, I admit that I'm stumped as to what else it could be. It might possbly be plain prose, although it does seem to be more than that. Hmmmm... Well, as I've said I'm stumped. Sorry about that.

-Tricia

[ofcatslives]

Don't worry about being stumped. I thank you for your attempt. I think it is a sort of prose poetry which would be more convincing if the text was not broken into verse. What do you think? Does the appearance or presentation of the text effect the genre?

Janice

[tricia_stewart]

Yes, I think the appearance or presentation of the text does effect the genre to some extent. For structure is very much a part of a ballad poem for example. It just wouldn't have the same feel to it without its structure.

-Tricia

Great piece

[may_posa1]

I was going to say free verse...I'm not really sure if it is prose, I am still struggling with the concept. But wow congrats on the piece of work you came up with, very entertaining. Perhaps the way it is formed, the seperation of each statement suggests that it is not prose because it is somewhat jagged...I'm not sure if you understand what I am saying....urrgh. Good luck.
-Lesley-Anne

Re: Great piece

[ofcatslives]

Ah, but I do understand, dear Lesley-Anne. The separation of the text does create a 'jagged' appearance and cause some confusion as to what Marquis' work may be: prose poetry or verse. As for the suggestion that the text may be free verse, you may be right. If we refer to the dictionary.com definition of free verse, Marquis' "archy and mehitabel" does comply in that it is "composed of variable, usually unrhymed lines having no fixed metrical pattern." Perhaps it is all a matter or interpretation.

Janice

Re: Great piece

[ofcatslives]

(just correcting a typo here)
Perhaps it is just a matter of interpretation.