Elements of epic poetry

part of unit 1uiz

Plot centers on a hero of unbelievable stature

* Noble birth or high position,and often of great historical or legendary importance
* Character traits, or qualities, that reflect important ideals of society
* Performing courageous, sometimes superhuman, deeds that reflect the values of the era
* Performing actions that often determine the fate of a nation or group of people
* Achieves what everyone else only attempts
* Partially divine or protected by a god
* See Joseph Campbell's “Hero’s journey”

Involves deeds of superhuman strength and valor

* Completing  a seemingly unachievable task at which others have previously failed
* Transcends human ability
* Valor -  great courage in the face of danger, especially in battle
* Humanity, society, happiness at stake
* A test of strength
* An equally competent foe
* An impossible task
* Strength to complete task connected to upbringing/lineage

Vast setting, multiple locations/nations

* Multiple worlds, and locations
* Action spans not only geographical but also often cosmological space: 
* across land, sea, into the underworld, or thru space or time etc.
* Starts at home and ends at home, goes to multiple locations to be able to return
* Locations are often challenges themselves
* Hero must adapt to succeed
* Terrain
* Culture
* Foe

Involves supernatural or otherworldly forces

* Gods, demons, angels, time/space travel, cheating death etc
* Can be a help to the hero
* Can be the thing the hero must overcome or master to be able to succeed
* These supernatural forces can (but do not always) exist unbeknownst to the normal world
* Realizing the “truth” about these forces is often part of the hero’s journey
* Mastery of these forces separates hero from normal people, raises them to level of villain/challenge

Sustained elevation of style

* Diction - The writer’s word choice, sentence structure
* Very formal, highly stylized
* Tone - The expression of the writer’s attitude toward the subject
* Serious, often dire
* Highly stylized
* Poetry
* Lyricism (singing)
* Exaggeration
* Long, formal speeches delivered by major characters
* Characters are formally introduced often
* See stock epithets, kennings
* A function of memorization

Poet remains objective and omniscient

* Omniscient - knowing all things
* God-like observer of the story and its character
* Knows the thoughts and feelings of characters
* Things other people in the universe of the story don’t have access to. 
* Presents all perspectives
* This includes the opposite side of the hero
* Has been further explored in modern interpretations of the epic