Epic Poetry

Definition A long poem that tells a story details the heroic deeds and events important to a culture or nation

Elements of Epic Poetry Important hero who has great historical or legendary significance Vast setting, covering many nations, or even worlds Action consists of deeds of great courage, sometime even superhuman courage Elevated language used throughout

Literary Conventions Opens by stating the theme or cause of the epic Invocation: writer invokes a Muse to provide him with divine inspiration to tell the story of the great hero In medias res: “in the middle of things” Poem opens in the middle of the story, when the hero is at his worst, then tells earlier parts of the story through flashbacks. uses epithets: descriptive word or phrase in place of a person or thing.

Famous Epic Poems Epic of Gilgamesh Odyssey Iliad Ramayana Aeneid Beowulf Paradise Lost