Introduction

The paradoxical influence of the inimitable is something that is at the heart of prose poetry and may be glimpsed in Deschamps’ assessment of Bertrand’s singular compositions. The notion of a liberation from the more familiar “frames” of poetry is inherent in the subtitle of Jane Monson’s 2018 anthology of critical essays on British prose poetry. Along with the emergence of digital literature and flash fiction, the playfulness and flexibility of prose poetry singles it out as a form of writing that deserves further scholarly attention. It provides a condensed yet pliable space for creative work to be shared in both traditional media and on digital platforms. Since the early writings of Bertrand and Baudelaire, prose poetry has been closely associated with the psychology of immediate experience.