Introduction
Differences between poetry and prose are highly noticeable even for people who are not knowledgeable in the forms of writing. The most obvious difference between prose and poetry lays in their structures – while poetry may be regarded as properly structured, the prose is more free and natural. Rhythm, meter, stanza, rhyme, and the number of feet are the poetry’s peculiar features. At the same time, the prose is subjected to particular styles of writing. However, there are other highly specific differences between these forms – their purposes and abilities. This work aims to analyze the same event written as a prose newspaper account and as a poem and define what the poetic version can do unavailable for the prose.
Body
Concerning, the newspaper account, its main function is to report news briefly, though with all necessary details, to report readers about the event. It provides facts without giving extended comments and does not evoke images and emotions. In addition, news items should be inevitably, and newspaper clichés and stereotyped, commonly accepted forms of expression generally prevail. From the presented newspaper account, readers receive information concerning the death of Thomas Fields, the reasons and circumstances of his death, the doctor’s comments, and the place and date of his services.
In turn, the poetic version of the same event completely differs from the prose variant – it evokes emotions rather than provides factual information. In other words, when people read the newspaper account they receive information about the event that has happened in another place with other people. At the same time, while reading the poem, readers may not only imagine themselves as the witnesses of this event but understand and feel deeply the emotions of the involved persons as well. In contrast to the prose version, the poem avoids multiple significant details concerning the event as it fully concentrates on the imaginative creation of the tragedy’s scene to induce readers’ fear, horror, sadness, or cry. In addition, to trigger more vivid imagination and emotions, poetry uses various literary techniques unavailable for prose. For instance, for the description of the accident that resulted in the boy’s death, personification is applied to the saw. In the poem, it acts as a living creature – it “snarled and rattled,” thought, and “knew what supper meant.”
Conclusion
To conclude, it is possible to say that although poetry and prose may be regarded as completely different forms of writing, they both play highly important roles as their purposes and ways of expression are unique. A newspaper account is essential as a source of substantial information that aims to provide facts and a brief overview of significant events. However, only poetry may trigger people’s emotions and help them to imagine the described situation.