Horace politely suggested I didn't know what I was talking about. And shortly thereafter, he submitted this quiz for me. I took it. Now you try. Decide which of these semi-famous passages are (or should be) prose, or poetry. Each is presented as the writer wrote it, and then recrafted by Horace into the other style, for comparison.

The pairs are in no particular order: The "real" one, as written by the author, could be the first or the second in each pairing.

1. Young George knew things. The world, he had found out, was a good place, and life was a good game -- particularly when Aunt Imogen was in it.

Young George knew things. The world, he had found out,
Was a good place, and life was a good game --
Particularly when Aunt Imogen
Was in it.
a. Prose, and that's right
b. Prose, but it should be poetry
c. Poetry, but it should be prose
d. Poetry, and that's right

2. So much for the effort
And ingenuity
Of Montmartre.
All the catering to vice
And waste
Was on an entirely childish
Scale,
And he suddenly realized the meaning
O the word
"Dissipate" -- to dissipate
Into thin air;
To make
Nothing out of something.

So much for the effort and ingenuity of Montmartre. All the catering to vice and waste was on an entirely childish scale, and he suddenly realized the meaning of the word "dissipate" -- to dissipate into thin air; to make nothing out of something.
a. Prose, and that's right
b. Prose, but it should be poetry
c. Poetry, but it should be prose
d. Poetry, and that's right

3. A red squaw came one breakfast-time to the old homestead,
On her back she carried a bundle of rushes for rush-bottoming chairs,
Her hair, straight, shiny, coarse, black, profuse, half-envelop'd her face,
Her step was free and elastic, and her voice sounded exquisitely as she spoke.

A red squaw came one breakfast-time to the old homestead. On her back she carried a bundle of rushes for rush-bottoming chairs, her hair, straight, shiny, coarse, black, profuse, half-enveloped her face, her step was free and elastic, and her voice sounded exquisitely as she spoke.
a. Prose, and that's right
b. Prose, but it should be poetry
c. Poetry, but it should be prose
d. Poetry, and that's right

4. I went up to her to ask her the day before yesterday; I thought that the best way. I told her I wanted to know her better and would like to come and see her in her room -- they tell me she has got a lovely one -- and that if she had heard anything against me perhaps she'd tell me when I came.

I went up to her to ask her
the day before yesterday;
I thought that the best way. I told her
I wanted to know her better and would like
to come and see her in her room -- they tell me
she has got a lovely one --
and that if she had heard anything
against me perhaps she'd tell me
when I came.
a. Prose, and that's right
b. Prose, but it should be poetry
c. Poetry, but it should be prose
d. Poetry, and that's right

5. aunt lucy during the recent

war could and what
is more did tell you just
what everybody was fighting

for,
my sister

isabel created hundreds
(and
hundreds) or socks not to
mention shirts fleaproof earwarmers

etcetera wristers etcetera

Aunt Lucy, during the recent war, could and, what is more, did tell you just what everybody was fighting for. My sister Isabel created hundreds (and hundreds) of socks, not to mention shirts, fleaproof earwarmers, etcetera.
a. Prose, and that's right
b. Prose, but it should be poetry
c. Poetry, but it should be prose
d. Poetry, and that's right

6. there lay oxford
far
beneath me
like a map in grey and black and
silver

all that i had known only
as great single things
i saw

now

outspread in apposition
and tiny
tiny symbols, as it were

of
themselves
greatly symbolising their oneness

there they lay, these
multitudinous and disparate

quadrangles all their rivalries
merged in
the making of a great
catholic pattern

and the roofs of the buildings
around them
seemed

level with their lawns

no higher the roofs of the
very towers

up from their tiny segment
of
the earth's spinning surface
they stood

negligible
beneath infinity
and new too
quite

new in eternity

transient upstarts

There lay Oxford far beneath me, like a map in grey and black and silver. All that I had known only as great single things I saw now outspread in apposition, and tiny; tiny symbols, as it were, of themselves, greatly symbolising their oneness. There they lay, these multitudinous and disparate quadrangles, all their rivalries merged in the making of a great catholic pattern. And the roofs of the buildings around them seemed level with their lawns. No higher the roofs of the very towers. Up from their tiny segment of the earth's spinning surface they stood negligible beneath infinity. And new, too, quite new, in eternity; transient upstarts.
a. Prose, and that's right
b. Prose, but it should be poetry
c. Poetry, but it should be prose
d. Poetry, and that's right

7. Through a little hole in the wall the children had crept in, and they were sitting in the branches of the trees. In every tree that he could see there was a little child. And the trees were so glad to have the children back again that they had covered themselves with blossoms, and were waving their arms gently above the children's heads.

Through a little hole in the wall
the children had crept in,
and they were sitting
in the branches of the trees.
In every tree that he could see there
was a little child.
And the trees were so glad
to have the children back
again
that they had covered themselves
with blossoms,
and were waving their arms
gently
above the children's heads.
a. Prose, and that's right
b. Prose, but it should be poetry
c. Poetry, but it should be prose
d. Poetry, and that's right

8. speaking of shocking things
as so many people are these days
i noted an incident
in a subway train recently
that made my blood run cold

Speaking of shocking things, as so many people are these days, I noted an incident in a subway train recently that made my blood run cold.
a. Prose, and that's right
b. Prose, but it should be poetry
c. Poetry, but it should be prose
d. Poetry, and that's right

9. they order, said I,
this matter better in france --

you have been in france?
said my gentleman,
turning quick upon

me

with the most civil triumph
in the world.

strange quoth I
debating the matter with myself,

that one and twenty miles

sailing

for 'tis absolutely
no further from dover to calais
should give a man these rights

They order, said I, this matter better in France -- You have been in France? said my gentleman, turning quick upon me with the most civil triumph in the world. Strange! quoth I, debating the matter with myself, that one and twenty miles sailing, for 'tis absolutely no further from Dover to Calais, should give a man these rights.
a. Prose, and that's right
b. Prose, but it should be poetry
c. Poetry, but it should be prose
d. Poetry, and that's right

10. Then there are girls with lovers.
The girls with lovers never
want them.
They say they would rather be without them,
that they bother them,
and why don't they go
and make love to Miss Smith and Miss Brown,
who are plain and elderly,
and haven't got any lovers?
They themselves don't want
lovers. They never mean to marry. should give a man these rights

Then there are girls with lovers. The girls with lovers never want them. They say they would rather be without them, that they bother them, and why don't they go and make love to Miss Smith and Miss Brown, who are plain and elderly, and haven't got any lovers? They themselves don't want lovers. They never mean to marry.
a. Prose, and that's right
b. Prose, but it should be poetry
c. Poetry, but it should be prose
d. Poetry, and that's right