Writing Prose Like A Poet: An Exploration of Poetic Technique in Very Short Prose

Abstract

Writing Prose Like a Poet explores poetic technique in writing, from the origin of human language to the contemporary prose poem that explodes with meaning, and argues for the power of poetry and concision in modern prose. Looking closely at the poetic techniques used in three modern short-shorts, and following the author’s journey away from plot and toward the storytelling power of short, lyrical writing, this thesis traces how language’s history of harnessing sound and music informs the future of modern, concise prose: writing that subverts and builds upon elements of both poetry and prose and responds to the call for brevity in our modern world.