There Is No Concisely Predictable Language of Prose.

2250 Words9 Pages
Samuel coleridge defined prose as ‘words in their best order’. By this statement he meant that prose as a genre of literature has a definite and predictable arrangement. He implies that prose as a genre has a uniform sequence to its construction. He therefore implies that the language of prose is predictable and that prose is written in a definite style. He implies by this definition that the writing of prose has set methods to it and a particular style. Therefore prose to him has a set standard of language by which it must be written. Prose as a genre has no concisely predictable language. Prose is the most typical form of language, applying ordinary grammatical structure and natural flow of speech rather than rhythmic structure as in traditional poetry. Truly prose is reflective of ordinary language which is another implication of coleridge’s definition but it is not predictable. Prose as a genre of literature just like any other genre of literature leaves room for stylistic variation and style shift. This means that while prose might have features which are peculiar to it thus making it distinct from other genres of literature, it gives room for differences in the formal and aesthetic features of its individual works. In other words, there are features of language which might characterise prose but there is room for features that are distinctive and unique to prose works. Stylistic variation leaves room for departure from what is considered the norm for prose, its conventional features, according to the desire of the author. Therefore in what can be termed the conventional features of prose, there is the distinctive form as so desired by the author. This is what can be termed stylistic variation; the ability of the author to differ from the conventional features of prose. It is therefore the writer’s use of their ‘creative license’ to apply unique and distinctive

More about There Is No Concisely Predictable Language of Prose.

Open Document