A prologue is an opening section that comes before the main body of a poem or literary work. It sets the stage by introducing a speaker, situation, theme, or background details that help the reader enter the poem more fully. In some works, a prologue may be spoken by a character or written as a separate introductory piece.
Example
Before the storm begins, the old house speaks:
its windows hold the last gray light,
and every stair remembers footsteps
that have not yet crossed the hall.
Related Definitions
[n] an introduction to a play