Poetry and Prose

Always be a poet, even in prose.

                                                  ~Charles Baudelaire

I have taken these words to heart. When I began writing poems in earnest a couple of years back, I realized that much poetry does not rhyme. Perhaps that might be the reason there's some angst in reading and writing poetry in schools. There's this misconception that poems have to rhyme.

Prose is spoken every day. It is speaking to others in normal everyday language. Writing it may be easier but the same time and effort to complete a quality piece is just the same as poetry or any form of writing. Many famous authors have written prose and poetry. With the former it has helped me to comprehend what they are speaking in the latter. You can say that poetry and prose can go hand in hand.

I've gone over my prose and poetry and find that my voice in both is strong and clear. Prose is more detailed while poetry more concise.  I'm always looking for ways to say things better. This should be the goal of every writer.