What is prose paraphrase, and how do you do it to a poem?
Prose paraphrase is converting a piece of writing, such as a poem, into prose or everyday language while maintaining the meaning and essence of the original. To paraphrase a poem into prose, you need to carefully analyze the poem and express its thoughts, emotions, and images in a straightforward manner without the use of poetic devices like rhyme, meter, or specific line breaks. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do it:
1. Read and Understand: Read the poem multiple times to grasp its overall meaning. Pay attention to the themes, emotions, symbols, and imagery used.
2. Identify Poetic Devices: While paraphrasing, you should eliminate poetic devices. Identify and understand any literary devices the poet used, such as metaphors, similes, alliteration, and personification. Make a note of these as they will need to be rephrased in simpler language.
3. Simplify the Language: Start by breaking down the complex language in the poem. Replace any archaic or obscure words with more commonly used equivalents to ensure the prose version is easily understandable.
4. Break Down the Lines: Identify the structure of the poem, including the lines and stanzas. Instead of focusing on preserving the line breaks, group the related ideas or thoughts together in coherent sentences or paragraphs.
5. Retell in Prose: Now, restate each line or idea in simple, clear, and direct prose. Aim to capture the meaning, tone, and emotions of the original poem in your paraphrase. Expand and explain any metaphors or figurative language used in the poem, transforming them into literal language.
6. Review and Revise: After you have completed the paraphrase, read it over to ensure that the meaning and essence of the poem are still intact. Make revisions if necessary, checking for accuracy and clarity.
Remember, while paraphrasing, you are interpreting the poem in your own words without adding any personal opinions or biases. The goal is to communicate the poet's message in a different form while preserving the core ideas and themes of the original poem.