Writing Prose and Verse

Prose and verse are two different forms of written text. Prose is simply “everyday” speech. Characters who speak in prose speak in normal sentences, with normal sentence structure and grammar. Verse, on the other hand, has a specific rhythm and pattern. This guide will further define both and explain some ways to use them in a play.

Terminology

Prose: speech that follows a person’s normal way of speaking, with standard grammar and sentence structure.

Verse: speech that has a specific rhythm and pattern. There are a number of specific types of verse.

Iambic pentameter: a type of verse with ten syllables per line and syllables alternating between unstressed and stressed beats.

Rhyme scheme: the pattern of rhymes at the end of each line of text in verse.

Blank verse: text in verse that does not rhyme.

Feminine ending: when iambic pentameter has an extra unstressed syllable at the end of a line.