The term "muse" refers to a god or goddess that inspires poetry or other works of art. In "The Iliad," the poem opens with a request for the goddess of poetry to sing of the anger of Achilles. You can be creative in deciding exactly what is meant by the term "muse"; you could call on traditional religious figures or on any cultural, spiritual or artistic figures that serve as an inspiration to your own writing.
You could even choose a fictitious character as your muse! When writing your epic poem, include not only action through narrative, but also a theme that you are trying to present and the hero who leads the action.
To continue with the example of "The Iliad," in its first few lines the poem announces the "anger of Achilles" as a thematic focus. In your own epic, make clear your primary point in the poem and indicate your primary hero or protagonist.
Most epic poems begin "in Media Res," which means "in the middle of things. Epic poets wrote works that centered themselves and rebelled against a culture rather than celebrating it. In his opus, Song of Myself , Walt Whitman purposefully breaks many rules of the epic poem by writing in first person and free verse.
But, he fits many other epic criteria. The story begins in media res. In lieu of a traditional guide, mentor, or deity character, Whitman turns to his own mind for aid. He conjures up images to facilitate understanding for himself and others.
He relates this to the overall human experience, inviting the reader to ask more questions and use wars and other injustices as an opportunity to explore their own virtue. He asserts himself and his culture in a realm previously dominated by white people of Western-European descent.
Virgil, The Aeneid. Inspired by the works of Homer, Virgil composed an epic poem also based around the Trojan War. At the outset, the reader finds Aeneas speaking to his companion Achates, trying to make sense of the ruins of war:. Dante Alighieri, Inferno. The epic Inferno is written in first person, so it reads almost like autobiography. The protagonist Dante encounters the ghost of his hero, Virgil, at the end of the first canto or verse.
Virgil calls Dante to action, inviting him to embark on a journey through Hell and Purgatory to the Kingdom of God:. Lawino begs Ocol—and, metaphorically, the entirety of liberated Africa—to preserve and celebrate his Acholi culture, rather than surrender to the Western ways. Braschi explores issues of gender, race, capitalism, immigration, and mortality—all while clowns and shepherds roam the streets and characters morph into each other.
Much of the work is composed in prose poetry, which lends itself to the flowing pace:. Qwiklit offers a list of the 20 greatest epics in history. Definition, Usage, and Literary Examples. Epic Definition. The History of the Epic Poem. The Criteria for an Epic Poem. Common Characters in Epic Poems. Postth Century Epic Poems. Notable Epic Poets.
Examples of Epic Poetry. Further Resources on Epic Poems. Related Terms. The History of the Epic Poem Epic poetry has roots in oral tradition, which predates the written word and was the way culture and history were preserved. Other Early Epics Epics are stories that distill entire histories and cultures into something tangible and engaging.
The Criteria for an Epic Poem Because epics predate the written word, not every criterion is met in the older works. Poetic Elements Some type of rhythm , rhyme , or other poetic device is usually employed in an epic poem. Consider the first couple lines, where the stressed syllables are bolded for emphasis: This is the for est pri me val. The mur muring pines and the hem locks, Bear ded with moss , and in gar ments green , indis tinct in the twilight , Rhyme scheme can be a major component of epic poetry.
Common Characters in Epic Poems Most epics have a central epic hero. Postth Century Epic Poems In the late 19th century, literature was influenced by humanism, an ideology that emphasizes the individual over the prescription of church and state.
What are flashbacks? Points in the story where they go back in time to explain what happened in the beginning of the story. An epic poem is a lengthy, narrative work of poetry. These long poems typically detail extraordinary feats and adventures of characters from a distant past.
From the Homeric Epics to the oldest piece of epic western literature: The Epic of Gilgamesh written c. A long narrative poem on a great.
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