"What I do say is that I can write verse, and that the writing of verse in strict form is the best possible training for writing good prose"

Philip Pullman asserts that composing verse, poetry crafted within strict parameters of meter, rhyme, or form, serves as an essential apprenticeship for creating excellent prose. The training demanded by verse, with its inflexible attention to rhythm, sound, and concision, sharpens the writer’s awareness of language’s possibilities and limitations. Writing within a strict form requires technical precision: syllable counts must be exact, rhymes authentic, and language distilled to its most potent form. Such discipline does not merely foster inventiveness in overcoming constraints; it forges habits of listening closely to language, weighing each word, and appreciating the subtle interplay between sound and sense.

Pullman draws a connection between the demands of structured poetry and the craft of prose, arguing that the rigors of the former instill the skills and sensitivities needed for the latter. Prose might appear less exacting, free of regular beats and formal rhyme, but its effectiveness still depends on rhythm, clarity, and economy. Writers trained in verse recognize the music that echoes within well-shaped sentences, appreciate the impact of a perfectly placed word, and understand how cadence can carry meaning or emotion as powerfully as content does. The attentive ear developed through verse echoes in their prose, endowing it with a quiet vitality.

Moreover, the struggle with form in poetry cultivates patience and a willingness to revise, prune, or reshape. Every constraint, like rhyme or meter, is an invitation to find new options, to discover original turns of phrase or unexpected images. This creative discipline, once internalized, becomes invaluable in prose writing, where the need to express complex ideas with clarity and grace is no less demanding. Ultimately, Pullman’s remark suggests that the technical mastery, linguistic sensitivity, and creative discipline developed through strict verse provide an ideal foundation for anyone seeking to write prose that is not only correct but compelling and memorable.