Prose poem
Poetry & prosodyA poem presented in prose rather than verse lines, using rhythm, imagery and compression.
Example
The station had closed its glass eyes. Beneath the clock, a suitcase still waited for someone who no longer had a name.
A prose poem uses paragraphs rather than verse lines while pursuing a poetic form. Imagery, rhythm, repetition and compression may shape it. It can include a small narrative or a descriptive moment.
Unlike free verse, it does not organize its presentation through line breaks. Figurative language alone does not make every prose passage a prose poem; the design and purpose of the whole text also matter.
In the workshop
Shape the paragraph's rhythm without relying on line breaks.
Put this term to work
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