It took the Greeks and Romans some time to learn that prose was the best medium for philosophy and history. Plato had the good sense to write in prose instead of following the ridiculous method of versifying of the early Greek philosophers, like Parmenides and Empedocles.
In the first century A.D. various Roman historians wrote of historical events in the form of epic poems. These are really histories with a little occasional glimmer of poetry. Thus we had Silius's _Pontica_, Valerius Flaccus's _Argonautica_, Statius's _Thebais_, and Lucan's _Pharsalia_. The last two works were especially admired in the medieval ages when rhymed or metrical historical chronicles were the fashion, and they were favorites of Dante. Very few people to-day read these metrical histories. English literature also is full of metrical and rhymed histories, geographies, criticisms, scientific works, essays, etc. But no one reads Warner's _Albion's England_, Drayton's _Poly Olbion_, or Daniel's _First Four Books of the Civil War_. And Darwin's versified _Botanical Garden_ has been a standing joke.
It is remarkable how past usages in literature influence us. The examples of Lucretius versifying philosophy in his _Nature of Things_, and that of Horace writing literary criticism in verse in his _Art of Poetry_, have been fruitful of mischief. Even much of the lengthy works of Shelley, Byron and Browning would have been better had they been written in prose, and they would have lost none of their poetic qualities. The greatness of the _Ring and the Book_, _Don Juan_ and the _Revolt of Islam_ remains when these works are translated into the prose of another language.
The French have perfected the art of poetical prose,[86:A] or prose poetry, probably more than any other nation. The reason may be that they have not been prolific of good poetry in verse, and have instead reserved their poetry for prose, a more natural medium than Alexandrine lines.
Fénelon was one of the first moderns who attacked verse. In two critical works, _Dialogues on Eloquence_ and _Letters to the French Academy_ (there is an English translation of both, out of print), he emphasized the insignificant part played by versification in poetry. He held that there was no true eloquence without a due mixture of poetry, that poetry was the very soul of eloquence. He said that there were many poets who were poetical without making verses, and he considered versification distinct from poetry. In his definition of poetry he excluded a consideration of versification. He thought the perfection of French verse impossible, that versification loses more than it gains by rhyme, and that French poets were cramped by versification. He wanted superfluous ornaments removed and the necessary parts turned into natural ornaments. Still he did not insist on a complete abandonment of rhyme, but wanted greater freedom. His biographer, St. Cyr, says that Fénelon wanted to abolish verse altogether in French poetry. Fénelon also wrote a novel in prose poetry in 1699, _Télémaque_. But prose poetry existed in France before him, in old romances like the story of _Aucassin and Nicolette_ and in Bossuet's funeral orations. His example was followed by Sainte Pierre, in _Paul and Virginia_, by Prévost in _Manon Lescaut_, by Rousseau and especially by Chateaubriand in _Atala_, _The Genius of Christianity_ and _The Martyrs_. Unfortunately, Fénelon insisted in introducing the clichés of verse into prose; artificial and unnatural language hence ruined some of his work and assisted in bringing the term prose poetry into contempt.