Critical Appreciation of Prose

CRITICAL APPRECIATION OF PROSE

                        DIFFERENCES BETWEEN POETRY AND PROSE

For a critical analysis of prose writing, it is essential to know the marks which distinguish prose from poetry. In general, we are able to identify poetry quite easily. We also find it easier to appreciate poetry than prose. However, the following specific distinguishing characteristics are noteworthy.

First, poetry has a visible and distinct formal pattern. It is metrical and written according to foot, line and stanza. Different forms of poetry have quite specific format; for example, sonnets have 14 lines, prose on the other hand, has formal division only in the sentence, paragraph and, it is non-metrical.

Secondly, poetry has sound pattern, i.e. a clearly defined rhyme scheme and/ or rhythm which depends on repetition mostly poetry can hardly be spoken naturally, it is usually declaimed. The rhythm of prose is more indescribable, because it depends more on variation than on repletion. Prose is very natural, as opposed to poetry, i.e. it can be spoken as ordinary language.

Finally, the diction of poetry is often evocative and ambiguous. It is usually chosen for its rhythmic effect and figurative and connotative use. The diction of prose is connected more with definite meaning, not mere language effect. In addition, while poetry tends to express strong feelings, prose is used for less emotional intensity.

In prose analysis we study the words when we speak of the choice vocabulary.  If we want to examine the rhythm prose, we study the sentences. When looking out for naturalness or clarity of expression, and suitability of language to subject, we study the paragraphs. In appreciating the logical sequence and narrative order, we study the chapters. Also, to speak of story structure or coherence of organization of any prose piece, we have to look at the entire piece or work.

Usually in appreciating, short prose piece such as we find in unseen prose examination, we are connected more with words and sentences. But in examinations on set textbooks like novels, we deal with larger prose units like chapters and the entire work itself.

TYPES OF PROSE

The function of a prose unit determines its types. The kind of message the writer has in mind to convey dictates his style, and also the prose type. We shall now distinguish the following types of prose writing.

(a)  Narrative prose: This is the most common form of prose in literature. The purpose or function of narrative prose is to tell a story, whether true or fictitious. Narrative prose comes in a variety styles and forms. The novel is the most popular forms however; the short story is also commonly practiced. Other forms narratives may also be included in other prose types like letters, journals, character sketcher, and so on.

Narrative prose can be vivid and interesingt. Most times, we have series of interesting incidents and events. At other times, the story is told with a view to giving us a subtle portrayal of character, or to point out a moral or message.

(b) Scientific or Informative prose: This is a variety of prose writing whose function is to communicate information. In the area of description, it often describes things and processes rather than events as in narratives prose. Textbooks of different kinds, encyclopedias, instruction manuals, newspapers, and other reports belong to this category of prose.

Although this form of prose may also have some literary merit, as in history books, its main intention is to convey information. Consequently, a great deal of bad writing occurs in informative prose. But where information is given in a brilliant, exciting style, scientific prose is a delight to read.

(c)  Argumentative and reflective prose: These forms of prose are more abstract and intellectual than either narrative or informative prose. The function of argumentative prose is to persuade the reader to the writer’s point of view in a certain thing, Sound and rational arguments are offered by the writer to make people think intelligently about a problem especially in their own way. But occasionally, some of these arguments are emotive, i.e. they appeal to the emptions and are designed to excite some specific feeling in the reader. A great deal of philosophical writing is argumentative, so also are many political tract and speeches.

.                       Where prose is reflective or contemplative, the tone is often moral or religious. Sometimes, however, such reflective prose could merely be for descriptive writing. The main purpose of this prose is not to make the reader take a position, but to join the writer in contemplating a particular thing, situation or problem. Essays under this form can include any possible subject such as love, war, fume, death etc.

(d) Dramatic prose: This prose is not exactly a division by itself because a lot of prose writing under the other three headings above can become dramatic. However, drama as a form of literature can use poetic or prose language , which is why this sort of division can be roughly created. The chief characteristic of dramatic prose is that it strives to capture the pattern of everyday conversation. It is often full of ellipses, short form, slangs, and other colloquialisms. It is quite realistic in language and stark in tone. Most modern dramas are written in prose.

ELEMENTS OF PROSE

(i)                Subject matter and theme: In prose a distinction is often made between subject, subject matter and theme. The subject refers to the topic: (a thing or process, a story, an event, a thought or feeling) treated by the writer. This is distinguished from the subject matter which includes both the subject and theme. The theme by itself refers to the real concerns of the writer. This includes the idea or emotion the writer explores, and the moral or philosophical significance the writer attaches to his subject or topic; that is the lesson he wants the reader to draw from his work.

(ii)              Organization and plot:  Prose writing or every prose writing is an organized piece of work. It has what is sometimes called structure, i.e. different parts that are placed in a certain kind of order to form a whole. In the case of narrative prose; the way the story is organized is usually referred to as the plot. Different writers order their story in different ways. Each story, i.e. prose piece or work of literature normal has a beginning, middle and an end. These three parts can be arranged in any order the writer thinks most suitable for his purpose. Thus, story may begin at the end of the event narrated, or middle.

(iii)            Character and characterization: As in drama, characterization in narrative prose is very important. The character of a protagonist in a story can be drawn and revealed in different ways. The writer may do this through incidents, through what the character says or think, or through what other people say of the character. Part of the hero’s character is his psychological make-up, his attitude to life and his moral, emotional and philosophical viewpoints.

(iv)            Diction and grammar: Diction in prose concerns the writer’s choice of words or vocabulary. In examining prose diction, we seek to know whether in general the author uses common everyday words or unusual words. We should also like to find out if he keeps to common English words or he brings in a lot of foreign or foreign-derived words, e.g. Greek, Latin, French, Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa etc. sometimes, writers use words consciously, for their sound effect. Again, some favorite words. Some writers are fastidious in their diction while others are (literally) or connotatively (figuratively).

In examining prose diction, we should pay attention to the differences in approach between short passages and whole works of prose-like novels. In short passages, we can closely examine rare words, i.e. the way words are used for specific effect, whether words are archaic, colloquial, foreign, figurative or have more than literal implications. We can do a word by word, phrasep by phrase and sentence by sentence analysis but in large or whole prose works, we need to generalize more.

Grammar is equally important in prose writing. While the rules of grammar can be safely ignored in poetry, they cannot be so treated in prose. Since the sentence constitutes perhaps the most important unit of prose writing, we always ask if it is grammatical when faced with a prose piece. Rules of grammar can be easily learnt, thus any deviation from them by a writer can be spotted immediately. However, sentences are simple, compound, or complex; and different writers prefer either of these, or prefer to combine them judiciously depending upon mood, circumstance or intension. We should, however, note that many good writers do not allow the rules of grammar to enslave them. Instead, they take considerable liberties with grammatical rules and conventions. What should always be borne in mind is the purpose writers have or the effect they desire to create by their attitude to grammar or the type of structures they employ.

(v)              Figurative devices: Although we encounter a lot of figure of speech in prose writing. It can be solely said that figurative devices are mostly essential in poetry, and can be dispensed with in prose. Informative and reflective prose can often do without any figurative language; even stories can be told without imagery. However, we may note that using imagery comes naturally. This is perhaps because figurative language tends to occur where strong emotions are involved. This may explain why they are common in poetry. Rhetorical devices are so many that treating them requires a separate section. The most common ones are: metaphor, simile, analogy, personification, metonymy, hyperbole, understatement, euphemism, synecdoche, alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, irony, antithesis, paradox epigram, climax, and anti-climax can be easily learnt.

(vi)            Prose rhythm: Rhythm means ‘flow’. Prose rhythm is a pleasing flow of sounds of language.  Any prose that satisfies the ear is rhythmic, in this sense. But if prose rhythm is strictly to mean series of equal or approximately equal units of sounds. A problem arises about how to identify the unit.

Grammatical analysis can help here, through the analysis of the length of phrases and clauses. If these phrases and clauses have a repeated pattern, the prose piece has a recognizable kind of rhythm called balance rhythmic style. However, this must be without too much regularity otherwise monotonous. Sometimes rhythm can be carefully analyzed according to time (duration), stress (relative emphasis), pitch (rise and fall of the human voice in speaking, or its analogy, in silent reading), as well as tempo (beat) of phrases, words or syllables. Usually, language is organized in set pattern, with the involvement of a psychological and natural matter. For example, we automatically say ‘human nature’, ‘the course of a river’, ‘the height of the mountain’, etc. by adopting this natural order through repetition and parallelism, rhythm is established. At the same time, our own individual attunement to sound makes the way a prose-work rhythm strikes each reader to be rather different.

(vii)          Mood, tone and attitude: This has as much to do with the feeling of the writer at the time of his writing as with the original atmosphere he tries to convey. It is however, always tied up with the intention, purpose or theme of the writer. The mood and tone is conveyed equally through diction as through punctuation. It is unprofitable to speak of any specific kind or a common range of tone and attitude, since there are as many of these as there are varieties of human emotion. But in addition to diction and grammar, tone can also be conveyed through rhythm.

Questions

·        In a tabular form list the various differences between poetry and prose?

·        Briefly describe three types of prose commonly used in the literary world.

·        ‘In prose, a distinction is often made between subject, subject matter and theme’, what is this distinction between them?

·        Prose has not less than seven elements to it list and explain three?

By:

Eguriase S.  M. Okaka