prose poetry

[novapsyche]

At Thirteen Blackbirds, I was going to give an assignment where we each wrote a prose poem. But because I'm so poor at the form, I was unable to give a good description of what a prose poem is. So I had to scrap that assignment for a later date.

The prose poem I had in mind as an example is by Carolyn Forche. Someone on choriamb brought it up yesterday, so I didn't even have to search very far for it. It's called "The Colonel." It was hailed as an instant classic.

If you were to describe a prose poem, how would you do so?

Comments

[blue-lightning.livejournal.com]

I've been puzzling over this question recently, while attempting to edit Tasmania, my first "real" prose poem. It's easy to critique a "regular" poem, but I get the feeling there really aren't many limits to what counts as prose poetry, and if there are few limits, how do you determine completion? The above piece (The Colonel) certainly looks like it could use some tightening in places, though I know it will never again be edited.

So I guess, for me, it comes down to the image. Does the piece build a vivid image? And are the characters and setting fairly static (neither going through any changes throughout the piece)? So long as there's no fiction-esque character development, and so long as the piece portrays a strong image with some measure of notable concision, I think it counts as a prose poem.

Good question, though; beyond those two details, I'm pretty muddled on the matter myself!

[xterminal.livejournal.com]

If you were to describe a prose poem, how would you do so?

"Flash fiction, but shorter."

[sarahmichigan.livejournal.com]

I was going to make a "flash fiction" comparison, too. Flash fiction can be as short as 50 words, so the "but shorter" didn't work for me. What does work for me is a description I saw in a link that I posted to my own LJ. It talked about the poem being in paragraph form without the poem-like line breaks, but keeping the "allegiance" to poetic language (metaphors, alliteration, etc.).

[xterminal.livejournal.com]

but keeping the "allegiance" to poetic language (metaphors, alliteration, etc.).

I always thought that was what flash fiction aspired to, as well...

[simianpower.livejournal.com]

If you were to describe a prose poem, how would you do so?

A very short story with bad line breaks.

That's not to say that poems can't tell stories, but so-called prose poetry is usually either bad prose, or bad poetry, or both.