Theory of Prose begins by explaining art as a device. Victor Shklovsky describes art as a mode of thinking in images. Art cannot exist without images. Shklovsky believes that poetry is imagery, and imagery is symbolism. Imagery exists as an applied manner of thinking and as a manner of escalating the sensation of sanities. A poet delivers his most significant impact of art through the poetic image. The role of imagery in any figure of speech intensifies the impression of things. Art makes people perceive things through the lens of sight rather than of recognition.
Shklovsky also describes the connection between plot structure devices and general devices of style. He uses Aleksandr Pushkin's novel, Eugene Onegin, to address the issue of plot structure. Literary work is defined by its relationship with the same preexisting kind of work. The plot can be simple, but the story is complex. Shklovsky argues that the story is only a material to structure a plot. In simple words, the plot and the story are two different things. However, the story is material for constructing a plot.
The technique of art makes things different and connected. Shklovsky argues that habitual perception is automatic because it automatizes sensations. The skills and experiences of people are automatically unconscious. Literary language is just a typical language warped and made unfamiliar. Literary work enlivens people’s habitual perceptions and makes objects more distinguishable.
