IGNOU BDP BEGE-105 PROSE AND POETRY, VARIETIES OF PROSE

          BEGE-105 UNDERSTANDING PROSE

IGNOU BDP BEGE-105 PROSE AND POETRY, DENOTATION AND CONNOTATION, VARIETIES OF PROSE 

PROSE AND POETRY

Prose is direct or straightforward writing. Here the writer communicates his/her thoughts or feelings as clearly and precisely as possible. On the other hand, poetry which is generally written in verse leaves a lot of things unsaid and to the imagination of the reader. Prose is like walking --that is it is functional and provides information. Poetry, on the other hand, is like dancing and aims to delight. A prose piece can be paraphrased or summarized but not a poem. We can and do paraphrase a poem, but the paraphrase of a poem is not the poem. In prose, what is important is the message but in a poem what is important is the experience conveyed rather than any meaning or information.

DENOTATION AND CONNOTATION

Words as we know, have a denotative as well as a connotative meaning. Denotation is the literal meaning of a word whereas the connotation is the meaning it has gained by association. For example, a snake as we know is a reptile--but is also very dangerous. So if we call a human being a snake we mean that that person is dangerous. Similarly, the word rose denotes a flower, if we call anyone a rose, we are referring to that person's beauty.

VARIETIES OF PROSE

The word 'prose' is taken from the Latin 'prose' which means 'direct' or 'straight'. Broadly speaking, prose is direct or straightforward writing. In ordinary prose, the aim is to communicate one's thoughts and feelings. What is important then is (a) what one wants to say, and (b) how one chooses to say it. What is said is the topic or subject of the composition. How it is said is the style or manner in which the topic is expressed. There are different topics and different styles. Whatever be the number of topics, they all come under one or another variety of prose and each variety may have a distinct style of its own.

For the purpose of analysis, the different varieties of prose are categorised as (a) descriptive, (b) narrative and (c) expository.

DESCRIPTIVE PROSE

Descriptive writing describes things as they are or as they appear to be. It can be a description of a person or a landscape or an event. In descriptive writing, we are able to see things as they are or were seen or heard or imagined by the describer. A good description translates the writer's observation into vivid details and creates an atmosphere of its own. Through his/her description, the author tries to recreate what she has seen or imagined. A fine description is a painting in words.

 NARRATIVE PROSE

A narrative tells us what happens or happened. It deals mainly with events. It may deal with external or internal events. By internal events, we mean the thoughts, feelings, and emotions of individuals. Narrative writing tries to recreate an actual experience or an imaginary one in a way that we are able to experience it mentally. We lose ourselves in the characters and the events of the narrative temporarily. Narratives can deal with the facts or fiction. Autobiographies, biographies, letters, travelogues, diaries and Eare narratives of facts. The short story and novel come under the category of narrative fiction.

The Ramayana and Mahabharata are examples of narrative writings. Narration is concerned with action and actors, it may make use of description but description is secondary. Action, characters, and settings are the elements that are woven into a pattern to make a narrative interesting.

What happens? Why does it happen? When does it happen? How does it happen? Where does it happen? and to whom does it happen? All these questions are answered satisfactorily in a narrative. What makes a narrative interesting is not just what is said but the way it is said.

EXPOSITORY PROSE

Expository writing deals with definition, explanation or interpretation. It includes writing on science, law, philosophy, technology, political science, history and literary criticism. Exposition is a form of logical presentation. Its primary object is to explain and clarify. It presents details concretely and exactly. Expository writing is writing that explains. But we are not interested in writing that merely explains. We are interested in expository writing that can be read as literature. The writer often combines features of description and narration while explaining. Figurative language is used to make the communication more effective. Expository texts could include essays, speeches, journals, newspaper and magazine articles, book reviews, instructions among other things.