Genre Studies- Unit-IV Epic

 

Epic

            The Classic examples of the Epic in European literature are the “Iliad” and the “Odyssey” by the ancient Greek poet Homer, which have served as models to all later Epic poets.

Conventions of the Epic

            The theme of the epic is stated in the first few lines, accompanied by a prayer to the Muse. The statement of the theme is technically called the “proposition”, and the prayer the “invocation”. Virgil’s “Aeneid”, which is an imitation of Homer’s “Iliad”.

            The epic employs certain conventional poetic devices such as the Homeric Epithet- a term or phrase, sometimes quite lengthy, applied again an again to a particular person, place or thing- and the Homeric simile, which setting out to make a comparison between two similar objects develops into a piece of elaborate description, a word-picture almost a short poem in itself, designed to capture the reader’s imagination.

            The action of the epic is often controlled by supernatural agents. In Homer and Virgil these are the classical gods and goddesses.

            The epic contains a number of thrilling “episodes”, such as the mustering of troops, battles, duels, wanderings, ordeals. In this respect they are all modelled upon Homer or Virgil.

            The Epic is divided into books, usually twelve in number, though the Iliad and the Odyssey have twenty-four books each. The reduced number was first adopted by Virgil, who was followed in this by later European writers. Spenser’s “Faerie Queene” was planned in twelve books, though never completed, and “Paradise Lost” was raised to that number from the original ten.