For poetry lovers, it is a real delight to be able to read a poem. And it is that with each word the author transmits an endless number of emotions, many of which are related to love, sadness, melancholy, memories, a farewell, etc.
Since they are emotions that human beings experience in different circumstances of life, it is normal to feel identified, make the author’s words our own, dedicate it, live each verse and more.
While it is true that anyone can read a good poem, would we say that anyone can write it? Not much less! To write a poem it is necessary to have different elements, as well as a clean and aesthetic technique. In addition, it requires a lot of reading and practice. Therefore, we could say that it is not something that can arise overnight or as a product of chance.
However, if you like to write, stay tuned! There is also something known as poetic prose, which, although it takes care of the aesthetics of the language it uses, gives the writer greater freedom.
However, it should not be confused with the poem or with prose. So what is it? What are their characteristics? And, especially, how can one write one? What steps must be followed? What recommendations should be kept in mind?
In this article you will have the opportunity to find the answers to your questions. It has been written thinking of those people with a certain degree of particular sensitivity who want to externalize their emotions and feelings in a way that can transcend over time and that affects the life of someone else.
That’s why you can’t stop reading it. Upon completion, you will have the tools to start writing your own story using poetic language. Let’s see right now how you can do it.
Instructions for writing poetic prose
Poetic prose is also known as prose poetry. It is a modern literary genre known to few and therefore hardly explored. However, it is the style that has been chosen by great writers.
It is in charge of combining different elements that are typical of poetry, such as the lyrical speaker, the lyrical attitude, the object and the theme, with the form of writing that is usually used on a daily basis. Excluding the formal elements of the verse, such as meter and rhyme.
It differs from the poem because it is written in prose. But it is not the same as the story because its purpose or purpose is to convey the feelings, sensations and emotions of the poet about what inspires him and not simply narrate facts.
Although there are many poets who write verse poetry, few explore prose poetry. Some of its greatest exponents are the following: Charles Baudelaire, Arthur Rimbaud, Gabriela Mistral, Pablo Neruda, Julio Cortázar, among others.
In a few words, we can say that prose poetry is a rebellious style that breaks the rules that have been established by traditional poetry, to make way for a freer way of expressing the poet’s feelings.
But, what are the steps to write poetic prose or prose poetry? They are the following:
- The first thing you have to do is select a theme. While it is true that the intention is not to tell a story, you do have to convey something to the reader. In this case, choose a subject that evokes feelings in you or one about which you have a particular opinion, in order to reflect it in the poem.
- The next step will be to design an action plan or strategy. Think about this: how are you going to reflect your thoughts? You can use different tools, such as figurative language, which is full of metaphors, similes, aphorisms, anaphoras, and other figures of speech.
- Think about how you are going to structure the poem. This includes deciding what the ending of the poem will be, that is, the last word that will be on each line, as this will leave an impression on the reader.
- Even if the structure changes after you’ve done a few drafts, knowing this detail will give you a chance to know how explicit your voice will be in the final piece of writing.
- When you are clear about these ideas, write your first draft. In doing so, you must leave behind all the rules you learned about verse, rhythm and meter, since with poetic prose it is you who decides what its form will be.
- This first draft will give you a chance to experiment. Keep in mind that, unlike a storybook, writing prose poetry is a shorter process, but one that requires multiple rewrites.
- After you’ve written your first draft, forget about it. Leave it archived for a good time. The tendency of every writer is to want to finish his work as soon as possible. Even in his first draft.
- However, it is important to ignore it for a while and then read it again a few days later. Doing this exercise will give you a new perspective on what you wrote. You may see that it is necessary to change words, modify ideas or add literary images in order to convey what you really wanted in the beginning.
- Share your writing with a friend or family member. When he has read it, ask him his opinion, if he noticed the ideas that you wanted to express through the figurative language, what would he recommend to change, etc.
- Although this can be a bit uncomfortable, because we don’t usually like to have our work criticized, do it with an open mind, thinking that this is an opportunity to improve, since criticism does not have the intention to destroy, but to build. Don’t close yourself off to those possibilities.
- Finally, edit your prose poem. Do it until you are satisfied with the result. To do this, you will need to repeat step 5 over and over again. Be patient and don’t give up. Only then will you get what you want so much.
Since you already know what the procedure is to write a poetic prose, what elements will you need to achieve it?
What do you need to write poetic prose?
Although his way of writing is free, he has a cultured and highly aesthetic language. In order to give beauty to the language, you will need to make use of figures or literary resources. But what are they?
They are unconventional ways of using words to convey expressiveness, beauty, vivacity, emotion, etc. In order to convince, surprise, excite or suggest and are typical of literary discourse and its different genres, such as poetry, essays, narrative and drama.
Some of the most used rhetorical figures are:
- The metaphor: this is a relationship of analogy or similarity that occurs between the meaning of two images or concepts. For example, “your blue eyes, full of sea.” This metaphor is used to indicate that the color of the person’s eyes resembles the color of the sea.
- The simile or comparison: it consists of establishing a relationship of similarity between two things. For example, “your hair black as night”.
- Hyperbole or exaggeration : consists of the exaggerated increase or decrease of a situation or a characteristic of a thing. For example: “I asked you 1000 times to forgive me.”
- Metonymy: it is about designating one thing with the name of another, to establish a close relationship. For example: “He swore to be loyal to the flag.” The word Flag is used to indicate that he swore allegiance to the nation.
- The anaphora: it is the repetition of several sounds in a rhythmic way, which is located at the beginning of a verse or phrase and that helps to create a rhyme.
- The personification or prosopopoeia: consists of attributing qualities of the human being or animals or some inanimate object. For example: “The clock tells the time.”
- The hyperbaton: is the means used to alter the natural order of words, in order to provide greater expressiveness or, as in the case of poetry, to adjust the metric, rhythm or rhyme of the phrase. For example: “if I remember correctly” instead of “if I remember correctly”.
- Onomatopoeia: it is a way of vocalizing, or representing in writing, the sounds of some objects or animals. For example: “Miaaaauuu!” “the Tick-Tock of the clock”.
- The antithesis: it is the relation of opposition that exists between two ideas or phrases and that has the purpose of making the expression much more effective and that it develops new knowledge. For example: “in every memory I forget you”.
- Synesthesia: it is the attribution of a sensation, be it olfactory, gustatory, auditory, visual or tactile, to an object that does not correspond to it in a conventional way. For example: “The bitter taste of goodbye.”
- Interrogation: consists of asking questions, which can be answered or not, in order to induce reflection or persuade. For example: “What have you done with my life?”
In order to write a poetic prose it is necessary that you know and know what it is and when it is appropriate to use each of these literary figures. That way, you will say without saying everything you want to express through writing.
But, what other aspects should be taken into account when writing poetic prose?
Tips for writing poetic prose
Something that will help you to start writing poetic prose is to have good references. That is, it is important that you read those authors who have endeavored to use this style of writing.
Copy some of the images he uses, his vocabulary, the way he structures his words. Don’t feel bad about it. Over time, you will be able to develop your personal style. For now, this can be a great starting point.
Pay close attention to the way in which you position the accented words in the text, since this detail gives it a certain musicality typical of this style.
Use cultured language. However, cult does not mean elaborate, rather the idea is that it is unconventional. If you try too hard to use fancy words, you will be able to reach very few people. You will be reducing your circle of readers, by excluding those who do not know those terms. You’ll make poetic prose dark and inaccessible, which you don’t want to happen.
Let your imagination fly. You don’t necessarily have to write about something you’ve seen, heard, or experienced yourself. You can also use hypothetical situations of experiences that you would like to live, dreams, how other people see and interpret life, etc. Don’t limit yourself. Your brain has much more capacity than you think.
Finally, don’t give up so easily . Especially if it is your first approach to writing. Since this is something new for you, it is very likely that you will be wrong several times.
Realistically, you may have to write several drafts before you’re satisfied with what you’ve written. But, keep in mind that the perfect writer does not exist. So the idea is that you be balanced. You can’t give yourself the license to accept everything you write, but you shouldn’t become your own executioner either.
Be patient and give time to time. While you do your best to write poetic prose, continue to educate yourself by reading books related to the subject and researching the work of the great poets of history.
You will see that if you do so, you will soon be able to write your great work of art. A poetic prose that reflects your feelings, thoughts and way of seeing the world and what makes it up.