Repetitional scope is the chief difference of poetry from prose. They can be sung and so repeated any number of times to one's satisfaction, thereby making them quick to be made by heart and easy to be handed over through generations. When we read good prose- a novel, a short story or an essay, we are delighted, but the utmost we can do on it later is to repeat a few famous dialogues or catchy sentences in them. But if we do it too often, the very thing will surely become our nickname in the village. But after enjoying a good piece of poetry, we can repeat it any number of times anywhere without any fear of being nicknamed after those words or lines. This very repetitional scope of poetry has come to the aid of poetry in helping it survive through ages. No prose from the time of the great oral epic poems has passed this test of time and survived. It is the musical content in it that makes poetry enchanting to be repeated any number of times and that helps it to survive. Poetry is not musical thought alone, but condensed thought too. It is not strange to notice that not only in theory but in practice also, good and regular prose can certainly be condensed into poetry by able hands and good meaningful poetry elongated into its fullness, the delightful prose.
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