Epic Poems
Lauren Smallwood
What is an Epic?
"An epic is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. Another type of epic poetry is epyllion (plural: epyllia), which is a brief narrative poem with a romantic or mythological theme"
"Epic Poetry." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Jan. 2014. Web. 04 Dec. 2014.
Features
"These book-long poems are unlike most other poems we are familiar with, and not just for their length. They are different in that:
they switch around from scene to scene and there is dialogue, like a play."
"Epic Literature: A Classic Combo of Narrative and Drama." About. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2014.
Purpose
To tell a story of a hero.
The Odyssey
"After we were clear of the river Oceanus, and had got out into the open sea, we went on till we reached the Aeaean island where there is dawn and sunrise as in other places. We then drew our ship on to the sands and got out of her on to the shore, where we went to sleep and waited till day should break."
"Book XII." The Odyssey by Homer:. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2014.