“Which of us has not,” writes Charles Baudelaire in the introduction to Paris Spleen, “in his moments of ambition, dreamed the miracle of a poetic prose, musical without rhythm or rime, sufficiently supple, sufficiently abrupt, to adapt itself to the lyrical movements of the soul, to the windings and turnings of the fancy, to the sudden starts of the conscience?” Published posthumously in 1869, Paris Spleen is one of the earliest collections of prose poems in the West. As a striking example of Modernist literature, Baudelaire’s work explicitly rebelled against traditional French verse, with its exacting forms and rhyme schemes, in the interest of more accurately representing modern-day life. This history of prose poetry explains that “[t]he advent of the form in the work of Aloysius Bertrand and Charles Baudelaire marked a significant departure from the strict separation between the genres of prose and poetry at the time.” Thus, in both its form and its focus on representing modernity, prose poetry served as expression of resistance and rebellion against the past.

By nature, prose poetry resists definition. However, interrogating our own ideas about what prose poetry is and what the form can do is a generative starting point for writing our own prose poems. First, let’s come up with our own definition of prose poetry. How might you define prose? How might you define poetry? Write down several features for both categories. Then, land on a definition of prose poetry that includes features of both. Remember, there is no right or wrong answer!

Next, consider the following five examples of prose poems. As you read them, think about these questions:

What stylistic features of poetry do you observe in this prose poem?
What stylistic features of prose do you observe in this prose poem?
How does this poem work within the tradition and/or history of prose poems?
How does this prose poem engage with or subvert expectations of what a prose poem is?
How does this prose poem engage with your own personal definition of prose poetry?

Poems:

José Olivarez, “Ars Poetica”
Danez Smith, “dear white america”
Franny Choi, “The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On”
Hala Alyan, “Oklahoma”
Joy Harjo, “Don’t Bother the Earth Spirit”

Try your hand at writing your own prose poems with the following prompts:

What are some assumptions people make about you? Are there certain expectations you rebel against? Brainstorm some ideas that come up for you when you think about these questions. Now, capture some of these thoughts and feelings into a prose poem. Write a prose poem that begins in reality and ends in a dream—or vice versa.
Write a prose poem that includes elements of fairy tales or ghost stories.
Write a prose poem in which the narrator must grapple with their mirror- or dream-self.
Write a prose poem in which you traverse across an apocalyptic landscape.
Write a prose poem in which you describe a relationship as a piece of fruit.