Standard Bearer Academy

Introduction: What Is Prose?

Prose is ordinary written or spoken language without the metrical structure of poetry. It flows in sentences and paragraphs. Most of what you read — novels, textbooks, articles, letters — is prose. While poetry condenses and structures language, prose expands and develops ideas through sustained narrative or argument.

The Bible contains both poetry and prose. Genesis, the historical books, the Gospels, and Acts are primarily prose narratives. The epistles are prose essays and letters. Understanding the characteristics of different prose forms helps you read both Scripture and literature more effectively.

The Short Story

A short story is a brief fictional narrative that focuses on a single event, conflict, or moment of change. The essential elements include characters (who), setting (where and when), plot (what happens), conflict (the central problem), and theme (the underlying message).

The plot typically follows a structure: exposition (introduction), rising action (building tension), climax (the turning point), falling action (events after the climax), and resolution (the conclusion). Nathan's parable to David follows this structure perfectly — the story of the poor man's lamb builds to the devastating climax: 'You are the man!'

The Essay

An essay is a short prose composition that presents an author's argument, analysis, or reflection on a topic. There are several types: persuasive essays argue a position, expository essays explain or inform, narrative essays tell a personal story, and descriptive essays paint a picture with words.

A well-structured essay has an introduction with a clear thesis statement, body paragraphs that develop the thesis with evidence and reasoning, and a conclusion that summarizes and reinforces the main idea. Paul's epistles function much like persuasive essays — he states his thesis, supports it with Scripture and argument, and calls for a response.

Narrative vs. Expository Prose

Narrative prose tells a story — it has characters, events, and a sequence of actions. The book of Genesis is narrative prose: 'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.' It moves through time, describing what happened.

Expository prose explains, informs, or analyzes. A science textbook, a how-to article, and a theological commentary are expository. The key difference is purpose: narrative shows through story; exposition tells through explanation. Both are valuable, and skilled readers recognize which form they are reading so they can adjust their approach.

Theme and Purpose in Prose

Every piece of good prose has a theme — an underlying truth or message the author wants to communicate. The theme of the parable of the prodigal son is God's lavish forgiveness. The theme of the book of Ruth is faithful love and divine providence. Theme is rarely stated directly; it emerges from the characters, events, and details of the story.

Purpose is the author's reason for writing. John explicitly states his purpose: 'these are written that you may believe.' Other authors may write to entertain, to warn, to inspire, or to challenge. Identifying theme and purpose transforms you from a passive reader into an active, critical thinker.