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EPIC POETRY

byDr. Bookie Reynolds

Pellissippi State Technical Community College

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EPIC POETRY

• An epic is a long narrative poem, written in a dignified, formal style, in sufficient detail to give a picture of a race or nation and its civilization.

• The action of an epic is centered around a hero of more than human proportions.

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EPIC POETRY

• A folk epic is an epic poem of uncertain authorship, e.g. Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, the Old English Beowulf, the Sumerian Gilgamesh.

• A literary or art epic is an epic poem written by a known author for a specific purpose, e.g.Virgil’s Æneid, Dante’s Divine Comedy, Milton’s Paradise Lost.

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EPIC POETRY

• The hero is of imposing stature, of national or international importance, and of great historical and legendary significance.

• The setting is vast in scope, covering great nations, the world, or the universe.

• The actions consist of deeds of great valor or requiring superhuman courage.

Characteristics

of epics--both

folk and literary

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EPIC POETRY

• Supernatural forces—gods, angels, and demons—interest themselves in the action and intervene from time to time.

• A style of sustained elevation and grand simplicity is used.

• The epic poet recounts the deeds of the heroes with objectivity.

Characteristics

of epics--both

folk and literary

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EPIC POETRY

Hand-to-hand combat between heroes

Descriptions of armor, weaponry

Sacrifices, rituals to gods

Bragging, boasting

Feasting

Funeral rites, lamenting

Digressive episodes

Statement of theme

Invocation to Muse

In medias res

Epic Question

Catalogs of warriors, ships, armies, etc.

Extended formal speeches

Stock epithets

Epic similes (extended similes)

Additionally, epics employ some or all of the standard conventions.