Prose poem: the poetry of small reflections

Abstract

The prose poem, a literary genre created by Baudelaire in the mid-19th century, became a third way for modern literature and has even established its own trajectory and tradition since then. Our essay seeks to ascertain the impasse of this kind of writing, as pointed out by Suzzanne Bernard, brought about by the depletion of the avant-garde movements after the end of World War II. As a response to the dilemma of poetic expressiveness, we would do well to pay attention to a lineage of contemporary texts that bear certain common characteristics. Inspired by a strong subjective tone, they display an unpolished language, bordering on intimate annotations, but with a high dose of reflection nevertheless.