Prose is the language of everyday speech and writing. It is also one of the two major forms of literary expression. The other is poetry. Letters, blog posts, and newspaper and magazine articles are written in prose. So are biographies, essays, histories, novels, and most plays. Prose, unlike poetry, usually has no regular meter. Prose also lacks rhyme, which is a feature of many poems. However, prose writers often use such poetic devices as alliteration and repetition, and some writers compose highly rhythmical prose. In poetry, the fundamental units are lines and stanzas. In prose, the fundamental units are sentences and paragraphs.
Prose styles range from simple to complex. Some writers, such as the English author Rudyard Kipling and the American authors Jack London and Ernest Hemingway, have favored a simple, clear, straightforward style of writing. Simple prose might contain short, blunt sentences with few adjectives. Other writers, such as the British Virginia Woolf and the Americans Henry James and William Faulkner, have preferred to use a denser, more elegant prose style. Complex prose might contain graceful, rhythmic sentences that sound poetic. Some authors favor a brisk, conversational prose style that mimics the rhythm and vocabulary of ordinary speech. This conversational style was used by the British author Jane Austen and the American writer Mark Twain. Other authors prefer a rich, complicated prose style that demands the careful attention of the reader. Such authors include the English writer Evelyn Waugh and the American Saul Bellow.
The King James Version of the Bible, published in 1611, combined certain features of both styles of prose. Its elegant yet natural style greatly impressed many readers. Since its publication, the King James Version has been the single most important influence on English prose writing.
