Verse and Prose in Fantasy Literature

In this video, Katherine Olley gives an analysis of two forms that dominate fantasy literature: verse and prose. Prosimetrum, the alternation between verse and prose as a narrative form, was an extremely popular form of writing in the ancient and medieval world. This talk asks why prosimetrum has survived as a literary form in modern fantasy literature and explores how fantasy writers like Tolkien and Kay employ shifts between verse and prose to dramatic effect within their work. Transcript/subtitles (.srt) available here.
Date Published: 16 December 2020
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Contributors: Katherine Olley
In Collection(s): J.R.R. Tolkien, Fantasy Literature: Further Thinking
Keywords: narrative, prosimetrum, prose, poetry, Medieval Literature, J.R.R. Tolkien, Guy Gavriel Kay
Cite: Verse and Prose in Fantasy Literature by J.R.R. Tolkien at https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/verse-and-prose-fantasy-literature via https://dev.writersinspire.it.ox.ac.uk/content/verse-prose-fantasy-literature. Published on 16 December 2020. Accessed on 14 May 2026.
If reusing this resource please attribute as follows: Verse and Prose in Fantasy Literature (https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/verse-and-prose-fantasy-literature) by J.R.R. Tolkien, licensed as Creative Commons BY-NC-SA (2.0 UK).
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