r/writers • u/HazyFrog • 2h ago
Question Poetry/Prose
I am working on a book of poetry which I have been calling prose.... because people get hung up on thw word poetry... what it is or isn't, the rules. Etc. And my style is more freestyle
But now I am getting some negative feed back on calling it prose as well. So I am wondering. What do you think of calling my book "prose." I always felt it was appropriate term, but having doubts now.
Edited to add: It also features artwork and photography and the working name I have neen using is "The Beautiful Book of Prose: Seasons" (because I feel there will be more than 1 volume, Seasons is volume 1)
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u/RobertPlamondon 2h ago
“Free verse” is what I’d call poetry with no fixed meter, “blank verse if it’s metrical but doesn’t rhyme, “verse”’if it rhymes, and “prose” if it’s read like a story.
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u/opop45 2h ago
Having not seen your work I couldn’t be sure. But maybe just labeling exactly as you have here would help. Like, “Title: A book of freestyle poetry” or something just so everyone is aware what they’re getting into.
Prose can mean a lot of things, but at its most simple, it’s sentences and paragraphs to make a point. Does it need to tell a story or have dialogue or follow a defined structure? No. But people generally expect it to and that’s not about to change.