Prose and poetry are the two common forms of literary discourse. Although we are not aware of it, we can react to speeches in at least two ways. Specifically, we can enjoy or appreciate them. The key to true appreciation is enjoyment, and this largely depends on your attitude towards literature in general.
Enjoyment should not be confused with appreciation. For example, we often enjoy a poem without fully understanding its meaning. The reason has to do with the nature of genres. Poetry draws attention primarily for the “music” of words, while prose for their meaning. Prose is the type of writing that does not conform to a recognized poetic form, that is, it has no metrical structure. In prose, a writer can express himself more directly. We could derive pleasure from a poem without being able to explain why it is so.
Actually, when one reads prose, one must pay attention to what the author really has to say. In other words, the meaning always comes first. On the contrary, when one reads a poem it is possible to pay more attention to the way a poet says something. Poetic language conforms to a rigid pattern. Poetry displays some kind of definite regularity in prosodic form, that is, some pattern of lines, tones, or accents.
Appreciation is related to reasoning. Before you can discuss the meaning of the text, you need to know what type of text you are reading. This will help to easily discern the intentions of the writer. Poetry, like prose, is an art of sounds. In order to appreciate a poem, we must keep in mind that there are four main types of poems, namely: descriptive, reflective, narrative and lyrical. Poetry uses sensory devices. For example, simile, metaphor and personification.
To appreciate a prose passage, one must remember that not all prose is the same. The types of prose are: narrative, descriptive and argumentative. The narrative tells a story; focuses on actions. Descriptive describes scenes, objects, people, or even people’s feelings. Argumentative deals with ideas and facts. Note that argumentative is the most difficult type of prose, because each sentence logically adds something to the main argument. Sometimes it is not easy to follow an argumentative text. Often the argument is nuanced: there are subtle nuances of meaning or expression. So, the reading must be very careful. To fully appreciate a text, it is important to notice how the writers compose and develop their thoughts, ideas, and emotions.