What is Prose?
Prose is the ordinary form of written and spoken language.
The Beauty of the Mundane: A Guide to Prose Writing
Prose is the beauty behind the ordinary, the means of expression that delivers all of life's lessons. It involves any written or spoken language that doesn't have a fixed rhythm or poetic structure, embodying the natural flow of speech in a sentence structure instead.
Every time you put pen to paper or touch your keyboard, you have the chance to capture the essence of life in the simplest of ways. Prose allows you to communicate events, share stories, and describe people, places, and things in everyday words that convey your message with clarity and precision.
Using prose involves mastering the mechanics of grammar and the art of syntax, crafting well-formed sentences that incorporate all the right elements of language. It's a delicate balance of staying true to the natural way of speaking while also giving the written word some polish and refinement.
Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, narrates the story of a young girl named Scout as she grows up and discovers the true nature of the world around her. Lee’s writing style employs simple, straightforward prose that captures the essence of life in the Deep South during the 1930s.
J.D. Salinger’s classic novel, The Catcher in the Rye, follows the story of Holden Caulfield, a teenage boy struggling to find his place in the world. Salinger’s prose style is characterized by a colloquial, conversational tone that captures the idiosyncrasies of Holden's speech and thoughts.