--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think poets are much more dramatic…" description: "\"I think poets are much more dramatic, more theatrical than fiction writers.\" — Francine Prose" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a2/francine-prose-9354_dramatic_i-think-poets-are-much-more-dramatic-mor_3008228.jpg" --- # I think poets are much more dramatic, more theatrical than… ![“I think poets are much more dramatic, more theatrical than fiction writers.” quote by Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a2/francine-prose-9354_dramatic_i-think-poets-are-much-more-dramatic-mor_3008228.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a2/francine-prose-9354_dramatic_i-think-poets-are-much-more-dramatic-mor_3008228.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a2/francine-prose-9354_dramatic_i-think-poets-are-much-more-dramatic-mor_3008228.jpg) > “I think poets are much more dramatic, more theatrical than fiction writers.” [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Poetry often embraces theatricality and heightened drama more than prose, reflecting its focus on condensed, emotive expression. **In simple terms:** Poetry is more dramatic and theatrical than prose. Key Takeaway Appreciate poetry’s vivid, dramatic style. Themes art drama expression literature style Mood analytical observational Type literary educational When to use this quote - literary criticism - creative writing workshops - performance poetry - education curricula - media analysis Key Concepts poetic form theatricality emotional intensity Questions to Reflect On - How does drama shape poetic meaning? - Can prose achieve similar impact? A Different Perspective Prose can also be dramatic; genre lines blur. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dramatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dramatic/) [Dramatic Theatrical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dramatic-theatrical-2188966/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Fiction writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction-writers/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Poets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poets/) [Poets Dramatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poets-dramatic-4809709/) [Theatrical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatrical/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Think Poets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-poets-359890/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Casino gambling is colorful and dramatic and theatrical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wynn/casino-gambling-is-colorful-and-dramatic-and-theatrical/) [Steve Wynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wynn/) > [We can be dramatic, even theatrical; we can be persuasive; but the message we are telling must be true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/we-can-be-dramatic-even-theatrical-we-can-be-persuasive-but-the/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [“I think poets are people who are like this; for whatever reason you feel psychological exile because you’re always an outsider...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-trethewey/i-think-poets-are-people-who-are-like-this-for-whatever-reason-you/) [Natasha Trethewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-trethewey/) > [The best moments involve a loss of control. It's a kind of rapture, and it can happen with words and phrases fairly often -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/the-best-moments-involve-a-loss-of-control-it-s-a-kind-of-rapture-and/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [I used to think all poets were Byronic Mad, bad and dangerous to know. And then I met a few. See Lamb 486:25.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-cope/i-used-to-think-all-poets-were-byronic-mad-bad-and-dangerous-to-know/) [Wendy Cope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-cope/) > [I think poets should work in the non-literary, non-academic world, get to know more than a workshop or a university.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/i-think-poets-should-work-in-the-non-literary-non-academic-world-get/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [I think most poets are natural witnesses and were curious about everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-hedge-coke/i-think-most-poets-are-natural-witnesses-and-were-curious-about/) [Allison Hedge Coke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-hedge-coke/) > [I think poets are supposed to be writing for television and film. I grew up in the day of early TV that was so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-myles/i-think-poets-are-supposed-to-be-writing-for-television-and-film-i/) [Eileen Myles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-myles/) > [I think, as poets, we are in the odd position of constantly defending our art form. Which is funny and also sort of invigorating,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-limon/i-think-as-poets-we-are-in-the-odd-position-of-constantly-defending/) [Ada Limon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-limon/) > [I think of poets as outlaw visionaries in a way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-jarmusch/i-think-of-poets-as-outlaw-visionaries-in-a-way/) [Jim Jarmusch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-jarmusch/) > [I still have a feeling that I haven't written the best that I can write. I think all poets must feel this: that there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-ann-duffy/i-still-have-a-feeling-that-i-haven-t-written-the-best-that-i-can/) [Carol Ann Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-ann-duffy/) > [I feel the most natural thing is for music to come that way because it's sort of like poetry. Though I do think with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-malkmus/i-feel-the-most-natural-thing-is-for-music-to-come-that-way-because/) [Stephen Malkmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-malkmus/) > [Each of us has a very rich nature and can look at things objectively, from a distance, and at the same time can have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/each-of-us-has-a-very-rich-nature-and-can-look-at-things-objectively/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [I think that poets can say, "What we want is for everybody on earth to wake up free from fear and with access to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hass/i-think-that-poets-can-say-what-we-want-is-for-everybody-on-earth-to/) [Robert Hass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hass/) > [“Considering the ways in which so many of us waste our time, what would be wrong with a world in which everybody were writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-kooser/considering-the-ways-in-which-so-many-of-us-waste-our-time-what-would/) [Ted Kooser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-kooser/) ## More by Francine Prose > [“I'm out of the equation, an innocent bystander at the major love affair Joan is having with Joan”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/i-m-out-of-the-equation-an-innocent-bystander-at-the-major-love/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [I went through college in the 1960s without having any idea that I was going to have to make a living. When I graduated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/i-went-through-college-in-the-1960s-without-having-any-idea-that-i/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [All the elements of good writing depend on the writer's skill in choosing one word instead of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/all-the-elements-of-good-writing-depend-on-the-writer-s-skill-in/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [“She emerges from the station directly across from the restaurant. And she's right on time. Like magic, Sonya thinks, briefly saddened to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/she-emerges-from-the-station-directly-across-from-the-restaurant-and/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [“Like, for example, sleeve length. Should he hide the tattoos? Or just wear a T-shirt and let "them" do the talking? If one picture's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/like-for-example-sleeve-length-should-he-hide-the-tattoos-or-just/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [“Consequently, we sympathize. We identify. We care. In fact, most writers would like you to identify”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/consequently-we-sympathize-we-identify-we-care-in-fact-most-writers/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [“A woman would have to be crazy to marry, or even have sex with, a man who would prosecute every lover’s quarrel like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/a-woman-would-have-to-be-crazy-to-marry-or-even-have-sex-with-a-man/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [I know a lot of Eastern Europeans, and because of what they have been through and what they have seen, they have an attitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/i-know-a-lot-of-eastern-europeans-and-because-of-what-they-have-been/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [“I’ve always thought that a close-reading course should at least be a companion, if not an alternative, to the writing workshop. Though it also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/i-ve-always-thought-that-a-close-reading-course-should-at-least-be-a/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [“Not all great writers may seem great to us, regardless of how often and how hard we try to see their virtues. I know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/not-all-great-writers-may-seem-great-to-us-regardless-of-how-often/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [Like seeing a photograph of yourself as a child, encountering handwriting that you know was once yours but that now seems only dimly familiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/like-seeing-a-photograph-of-yourself-as-a-child-encountering/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > ['One Hundred Years of Solitude' convinced me to drop out of Harvard graduate school. The novel reminded me of everything my Ph.D. program was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/one-hundred-years-of-solitude-convinced-me-to-drop-out-of-harvard/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [“Maybe real love is being able to ask, Do I have greens in my teeth?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/maybe-real-love-is-being-able-to-ask-do-i-have-greens-in-my-teeth/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [With this recitation of paraphernalia and detritus, O'Brien manages to encapsulate the experience of an army and of a particular war, of a mined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/with-this-recitation-of-paraphernalia-and-detritus-o-brien-manages-to/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [“The repetitions, meaningless expressions, stammers, and nonsensical monosyllables with which we express hesitation, along with the clichés and banalities that constitute so much of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/the-repetitions-meaningless-expressions-stammers-and-nonsensical/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) [Explore all 73 Francine Prose quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) ## More Dramatic quotes > [One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-deepest-and-strangest-of-all-human-moods-is-the-mood-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think if I have any kind of unique gift, it's more in the comedy area than it is in the dramatic area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sullivan/i-think-if-i-have-any-kind-of-unique-gift-it-s-more-in-the-comedy/) [Susan Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sullivan/) > [A counted number of pulses only is given to us of a variegated, dramatic life. How may we see in them all that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-pater/a-counted-number-of-pulses-only-is-given-to-us-of-a-variegated/) [Walter Pater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-pater/) > [Sure, I’m dramatic and sloppily semi-cynical and semi-sentimental. But, in leisure years I could grow and choose my way. Now I am living on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/sure-i-m-dramatic-and-sloppily-semi-cynical-and-semi-sentimental-but/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [There is a comfort zone of knowing where things are going and having characters in place, but the action gets more and more dramatic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-b-jenkins/there-is-a-comfort-zone-of-knowing-where-things-are-going-and-having/) [Jerry B. Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-b-jenkins/) > [I really think the biopic thing so rarely works, because peoples lives dont have a dramatic shape that can be satisfying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-condon/i-really-think-the-biopic-thing-so-rarely-works-because-peoples-lives/) [Bill Condon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-condon/) > [“I am yours. It's both as dramatic and as simple as that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-ridley/i-am-yours-it-s-both-as-dramatic-and-as-simple-as-that/) [Erica Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-ridley/) > [My illness is one often characterized by dramatic overspending - in my case through frenzied shopping sprees, credit card abuse, excessive hoarding of unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-behrman/my-illness-is-one-often-characterized-by-dramatic-overspending-in-my/) [Andy Behrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-behrman/) > [We have committed ourselves to pursue joint policies, but then national governments say, "We aren't bound by that." That is a dramatic situation, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/we-have-committed-ourselves-to-pursue-joint-policies-but-then/) [Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/) > [Failure in the theater is more dramatic and uglier than any other form of writing. It costs so much, you feel so guilty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-dramatic-and-uglier-than-any-other/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [Schengen cannot survive without the most dramatic reform, and the external borders of Europe must be rapidly strengthened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-soames/schengen-cannot-survive-without-the-most-dramatic-reform-and-the/) [Nicholas Soames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-soames/) > [In 2008, Bitcoin was mysteriously introduced to the world in an obscure, technical paper written under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. By late 2013, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hanke/in-2008-bitcoin-was-mysteriously-introduced-to-the-world-in-an/) [Steve Hanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hanke/) > [I was going to say 'my friend Stuart', but I suppose he's not a friend any more. I seem to have lost a number…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-coe/i-was-going-to-say-my-friend-stuart-but-i-suppose-he-s-not-a-friend/) [Jonathan Coe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-coe/) > [I think that I originally became an actor because I was super, super dramatic. Over the top, all the time. I was the kid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alanna-masterson/i-think-that-i-originally-became-an-actor-because-i-was-super-super/) [Alanna Masterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alanna-masterson/) > [Maybe my movie isn't over, I say, because sometimes moviemakers trick the audience with a false bad ending, and just when you think the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/maybe-my-movie-isn-t-over-i-say-because-sometimes-moviemakers-trick/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) [Browse all 1,590 Dramatic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dramatic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think poets are much more dramatic, more theatrical than fiction writers.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Francine Prose" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/i-think-poets-are-much-more-dramatic-more-theatrical-than-fiction/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dramatic" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/i-think-poets-are-much-more-dramatic-more-theatrical-than-fiction/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a2/francine-prose-9354_dramatic_i-think-poets-are-much-more-dramatic-mor_3008228.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a2/francine-prose-9354_dramatic_i-think-poets-are-much-more-dramatic-mor_3008228.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a2/francine-prose-9354_dramatic_i-think-poets-are-much-more-dramatic-mor_3008228.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think poets are much more dramatic, more theatrical than fiction writers.” — Francine Prose", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Francine Prose", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think poets are much more...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/i-think-poets-are-much-more-dramatic-more-theatrical-than-fiction/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/i-think-poets-are-much-more-dramatic-more-theatrical-than-fiction/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```