He Foreword Is one of the preliminary parts of the structure of a formally written book, document or literary piece. It has characteristics very marked to distinguish it from the main literary piece.
It is the rational explanation of the work; An introduction that allows to locate the reader in what he will find next, where he justifies his composition, explains the structure and the criteria that were taken into account for the development of the writing.
The term comes from the Greek"pro"meaning"before","towards","in favor of", and"logos"meaning"speech", and is the author's space to put his reader In the appropriate arrangement for the correct approach of the subject to be treated.
It is considered a"paratext", that is to say, part of the texts that are in the periphery of the main text, as they are also the title, the dedications, the footnotes, et cetera.
Main characteristics of a prologue
1- About the name
Although there are differences, many are often also called"Introduction". The introduction is more a presentation of the content than the author.
On the other hand, the term"Prologue"is more common in academic books, works of great volume or of authors more consecrated.
The term"Introduction", which seems to be given a more modest meaning, is used by novel authors, or works of lesser complexity or scope; It is also used more in scientific or research papers.
Other authors consider both terms as synonyms, like others such as prolegomeno, preamble, preface, etcetera.
2- Location
The prologue is always placed between the first pages of the book. Generally, it is the first sheet that appears after the index. In any case, it must be before the beginning of the work itself.
3- About the amount
Most books have a single prologue. However you can find very famous books that, in each reprint or reissue, is added a new prologue, usually written by someone of relevance in the subject.
We will find in this way books with the original prologue that had the first edition and one, two or more additional prologues added later.
There will also be books considered classics of the universal literature, which will have different prologues depending on the publishing house that prints them or the market to which this edition is destined.
For example: the stories of Lewis Carroll with prologue of Jorge Luis Borges for the Latin American market.
4- About the extension
There is no predetermined extension for the prologue, but it is advisable not to be too long. However, it should not be so succinct as to not sufficiently explain the intention of the book.
The idea is that, by reading the prologue, the reader knows where it is located to begin reading: from what angle will the subject be addressed, what aspects were taken into account, the chronological space or geographic location within which History will be developed, and so on. To explain this, you do not need too many pages.
5- About the author
The prologue can be written by the author of the work, where he will explain the motivations that led him to write it and, as we have already explained, the point of view from which to approach the subject in question.
But it can also be written by a third party who did not intervene in the writing of the work, but who is an expert, a scholar, a connoisseur or an enthusiast of the subject that is developed in the book.
In these cases, this person is invited by the author or the publisher to write the prologue with the intention of giving greater relevance and category to the work or make known to the author, since, an expert in the subject who agrees to write the Prologue of a book, is an endorsement of the book is good and this underpins the author.
6- About writing
The prologue allows a slightly lighter and personal writing if it is written by the author of the work.
In these cases, he usually writes it in the first person, where, in addition to explaining to the reader what he is going to read next, he can also tell the path he had to write for the book, the discoveries he made, the pitfalls he drew, and his About the final result.
In cases where there is more than one author, for example, a research team, the prologue is less personal, the writing is more indirect, it may even be written in the third person.
In cases where the author of the prologue is not the author of the book, the prologue focuses more on the theme; The prologuista reveals his knowledge on the subject and finally, praises the author as an important contribution to the subject in question.
7- About the structure
The prologue is not a fictional text, therefore it must follow a logical and coherent order. A relaxed language may be allowed, but in no case should it be dispersed, skipped, or spread too far.
It should be concise but at the same time explain the structure of the book as such, its divisions and subdivisions, the choice of certain aspects for the study or development of the subject.
Finally, the prologue may include acknowledgments to individuals and institutions who have collaborated with the author for the development of the topic.
8- On the moment of its elaboration
If the prologue will include the story of the writing process of the work, it is obvious that it will have to be written after the work is finished.
The same happens if the prologuista is a third party, since the latter will have to read the work in its entirety before being able to make an objective analysis of it.
So, while the prologue will be the first thing the reader will see, it is the last thing the writer will write.
9- About function
It has already been said that the main function of the prologue is to explain to the reader what is contained in the following pages of the work ("explanatory"function).
But the prologue may carry other intentions such as comparing the present work with previous ones, explaining their differences, arguing why it was written one way and not another or even, the prologue can serve as the beginning of a story.
It can be said then that the prologue can have an"inspirational"function (tells what inspired it to write the work) or"comparative"(refers to other works or authors).
10- About its importance
Everything written above highlights the importance of the prologue in a text. However, it is not an indispensable or obligatory element.
That is, many books have no prologue and that does not mean an error, a lack, or an aspect that detracts from merit or quality to the work.
References
- Characteristic and function of the prologue. Recovered from estudiaryaprender.com.
- Foreword. Recovered from es.wikipedia.org.
- Characteristics of a prologue. Retrieved from docs.goole.com.
- Ricardo Cuéllar Valencia. The prologue as a literary genre and considerations around the prologues of Miguel de Cervantes. Retrieved from social-atlantic.bligoo.com.