PROSE POEM

       The prose poem, a cross between prose and poetry, is credited to Aloysius Bertrand in his Gaspard of the Night I(1836).  He influenced Baudelaire.

        On the printed page, a prose poem looks like prose, but reads like poetry without meter or rhyme scheme.  It contains the freshness of language, the imagery, alliteration, and other accoutrements associated with the writing of poetry.

       The prose poem tends to be short, one paragraph or several, but at times runs on into pages in length. No specific length is required.  American writers who have used this form include well known poets such as Robert Bly and W. S. Merwin. 

       Here is an example of a short prose poem:

        The Beggar Woman of Naples

        When I lived in Naples, there was a beggar woman who sat at the doorway of my building. I used to toss her a few coins before getting into my carriage. One day, surprised at never being thanked, I looked at the beggar woman.  Now, as I looked, I saw that what I had taken to be a beggar woman was a green wooden box containing some red dirt and a few half-rotten bananas. . . .

                                                                                            Max Jacob (translated by  Ron Padgett)