The Epic

Introduction:

Impersonal poetry can be divided into two groups dash the narrative and The dramatic.

Epic:

In the first group, The Epic on the heroic poem is the most important. an epic is a long narrative in verse on a great and serious subject related in an elevated style. And nothing else is generally a well-known story and is centered around the heroic or semi-divine figure whose action depends on the fate of a tribe in addition to the human race. The action in an epic is serious and there is a good deal of physical and spiritual conflict. the characters and events or boat ride in detail, elaborate descriptions of places and actions are given, figures of speech are used and usually, an elevator and ornated style are adopted. Aristotle the epic second only to tragedy. It was the norm of great poetry in sixteenth and seventeenth-century England. Dryden wrote, “A hero poem, truly such, is undoubtedly the greatest work which the soul of man is capable to perform.

Two types of epics:

Historically, there have been two types of epics:

  • The primitive epic or The epic of growth
  • The epic of art or the literary epic.

The epic of growth:

The epic of growth is not entirely the work of a single author but is evolved from pre-existing legends, folk poems, and sagas. It is the final product of a long series of accretions and synthesis shaped by the conscious intervention of some great poet. Well-known examples of this type of EPIC are Iliad and Odyssey, the English Beowulf, and the Indian epics The Ramayana and The Mahabharata. All epics of growth deal with the same subject matter – the deed of heroes. These heroes belong to the race and their exploits form the core of mythology. As such the epics of growth contain supernatural and religious elements. The style of such an epic is marked by directness and simplicity. Stylistic devices may be repeater why they are never obscure.

The epic of art:

The epic of art or the literary epic is the product of individual genius. Of this kind, the earliest was Virgil’s ‘Aenid’. It became a model for the later epic poets. In English, the supreme example of a literary epic is Milton’s Paradise Lost. Arnold’s “Sohrab and Rustom” the fragmentary epic “Hyperion” by Keats and Spencer’s “Fairy Queen” also belong to this category stop a literary epic is the result of the poet’s erudition and scholarly research through it shares several of its characteristics with the epic of growth. Most traits of the traditional epic are found in the literary epic also.

Conclusion:

The Epic is an important literary form in English literature. In the earlier period, In the English language mostly authors wrote about Historical novels and Epic novels. They described the huge events, God’s and their stories and incidents. Even now Epic is mostly used to write about mythologies and God deeds and it is popular among the readers. Nowadays, authors are writing many fictional epics also.

Book Review: 1984 by George Orwell

Two must read books by Paulo Coelho

1 reply