Epic essay

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Epic

Epic is a long tale written in the form of a verse. In Greek Iliad and Odyssey are two great epics of Homer. In Epic mighty warriors and princes are the leading figure. They have endowed with superhuman qualities.

·       Supernatural and magical elements are present.

·       The language is exalted and noble.

Conventions of the epic

A) The epic starts with an invocation (prayer) to God. The theme of the poem is stated at the beginning (proposition).

·       Eg. Milton’s Paradise Lost

·       Virgil’s Aeneid

·       Homer’s Iliad.

B) The Epic employs certain poetic devices like Homeric Epithet and Homeric Simile.

1.     Homeric Epithet – a term or phrase quite lengthy applied to a person repeatedly. Eg. In Tennyson’s Morte D’ Arthur  “faint Homeric echoes” occurs.

2.     Homeric Simile – comparison between two similar objects. Eg. In Arnold’s Sohrab and Rustum, Rustum is unaware his own son lying in a deadly state. This is compared to an eagle unaware about a hunter killing it’s mate.

C) The Epic contains a number of thrilling “episodes”

D) The Epic is divided into many books. Odyssey and Iliad have 24 book. Paradise lost has twelve books.

E) The action is controlled by supernatural agents.

Mock Epic

Mock-epic or mock-heroic is a form of satire that adapts the elevated heroic style of the classical epic poem for a trivial subject. Eg. Alexander Pope’s the Rape of the Lock. He begins his Epic with invocation, proposition. He uses supernatural elements as for Epic, but the subject matter is trivial for mock Epic. Hazlitt remarks,

    “ the little has been made great, the great little”.

 

 

 

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