Epic poetry


The epic is a broadly defined genre of narrative poetry, and one of the major forms of narrative literature. It retells in a continuous narrative the life and works of a heroic or mythological person or group of persons. In the West, the Iliad, Odyssey, Aeneid, Beowulf, Cantar de Mio Cid, Evangeline, and Nibelungenlied; and in the East, the Epic of Gilgamesh, Mahabharata, Ramayana, Shahnama and Epic of King Gesar are often cited as examples of the epic genre. The composition of epic poetry, or of long poems in general, has become uncommon in the Western world since the early 20th century. The meaning of the term epic, however, has evolved to refer to prose works, films, and similar works which are characterized by great length, multiple settings, large numbers of characters, or long span of time involved. As a result of this change in the use of the word, many prose works of the past may be retroactively called "epics" which were not composed or originally understood as such.

Oral epics or world folk epics

The first epics were products of preliterate societies and oral poetic traditions. In these traditions, poetry is transmitted to the audience and from performer to performer by purely oral means.

Early twentieth-century studies of living oral epic traditions in the Balkans by Milman Parry and Albert Lord demonstrated the paratactic model used for composing these poems. What they demonstrated was that oral epics tend to be constructed in short episodes, each of equal status, interest and importance. This facilitates memorisation, as the poet is recalling each episode in turn and using the completed episodes to recreate the entire epic as he performs it.

Parry and Lord also showed that the most likely source for written texts of the epics of Homer was dictation from an oral performance.

<blockquote>Epic: a long narrative poem in elevated stature presenting characters of high position in adventures forming an organic whole through their relation to a central heroic figure and through their development of episodes important to the history of a nation or race.</blockquote>

Epics have 6 main characteristics:

  1. the hero is of imposing stature, of national or international importance, and of great historical or legendary significance
  2. the setting is vast, covering many nations, the worlds or the universe
  3. the action consists of deeds of great valor or requiring superhuman courage
  4. supernatural forces--gods, angels, demons--interest themselves in the action
  5. a style of sustained elevation is used
  6. the poet retains a measure of objectivity

Conventions of Epics:

  1. Opens by stating the theme or subject matter of the epic
  2. Writer invokes a Muse, one of the nine daughters of Zeus. The poet prays to the Muses to provide him with divine inspiration to tell the story of a great hero.
  3. Narrative opens in medias res, or in the middle of things, usually with the hero at his lowest point. Usually flashbacks show earlier portions of the story.
  4. Catalogues and genealogies are given. These long lists of objects, places, and people place the finite action of the epic within a broader, universal context. Oftentimes, the poet is also paying homage to the ancestors of audience members.
  5. Main characters give extended formal speeches.
  6. Use of the epic simile
  7. Heavy use of repetition or stock phrases.

Epics in literate societies

Literate societies have often copied the epic format; the earliest European examples of which the text survives are the Argonautica of Apollonius of Rhodes and Virgil's Aeneid, which follow both the style and subject matter of Homer. Other obvious examples are Nonnus' ''Dionysiaca'', Tulsidas' Sri Ramacharit Manas, which follows the style and subject matter of Valmiki's Ramayana, and the Persian epic Shahnama by Ferdowsi.

Classical epic conventions include:

Invocation (prayer to the inspiring muse [of the epic]), praepositio (introduction of the epic's theme), enumeratio (counting the fighting heroes and their armies), the principles termed "in medias res" (starting from the middle of an event), Deus ex machina (divine intervention), anticipatio (prediction), and Epithet (permanent attributes of a heroic figure).

Notable epic poems

This list can be compared with two others, National epic and List of world folk-epics.[1]

Ancient epics (to 500)

Medieval Epics (500-1500)

Modern Epics (from 1500)

Prose "Epics"

Mythological

14th century

16th to 18th Century

19th Century

20th Century

Other "Epics"

See also

External links

Bibliography

Citations