Epic PoetryEpic Poetry

Definition Definition

– A long poem that tells a storyA long poem that tells a story

– details the heroic deeds and events details the heroic deeds and events important to a culture or nationimportant to a culture or nation

Elements of Epic PoetryElements of Epic Poetry

• Important hero who has great Important hero who has great historical or legendary significancehistorical or legendary significanceVast setting, covering many nations, Vast setting, covering many nations, or even worldsor even worldsAction consists of deeds of great Action consists of deeds of great courage, sometime even courage, sometime even superhuman couragesuperhuman courageElevated language used throughout Elevated language used throughout

Literary ConventionsLiterary Conventions

• Opens by stating the theme or cause of the epicOpens by stating the theme or cause of the epic

• Invocation: writer invokes a Invocation: writer invokes a Muse Muse to provide him with to provide him with divine inspiration to tell the story of the great herodivine inspiration to tell the story of the great hero

• In medias res:In medias res: “in the middle of things” Poem opens “in the middle of things” Poem opens in the middle of the story, when the hero is at his in the middle of the story, when the hero is at his worst, then tells earlier parts of the story through worst, then tells earlier parts of the story through flashbacks.flashbacks.

• uses uses epithets: epithets: descriptive word or phrase in place of descriptive word or phrase in place of a person or thing.a person or thing.

Famous Epic PoemsFamous Epic Poems

• Epic of GilgameshEpic of Gilgamesh

• OdysseyOdyssey

• IliadIliad

• RamayanaRamayana

• AeneidAeneid

• BeowulfBeowulf

• Paradise LostParadise Lost