Epic

Definition

"Epic is a long, often book-length, narrative in verse form that retells the heroic journey of a single person, or group of persons" ("Epic".)

History of the Epic Form

"The word "epic" comes from Latin epicus and from Greek epikos, meaning "a word; a story; poetry in heroic verse." The elements that typically distinguish epics include superhuman deeds, fabulous adventures, highly stylized language, and a blending of lyrical and dramatic traditions, which also extend to defining heroic verse" ("Epic".)

The oldest epic in the world

"Gilgamesh is the semi-mythic King of Uruk best known as the hero of The Epic of Gilgamesh (c. 2150-1400 BCE) the great Babylonian poem that predates Homer's Iliad and Odyssey by 1500 years and therefore, stands as the oldest piece of epic world literature. Gilgamesh features in several Sumerian poems but is world-famous from the Mesopotamian epic" ("Gilgamesh".)

Examples of epic

"The Iliad And The Odyssey written by Homer

The Divine Comedy written by Dante Alighieri

Paradise Lost written by John Milton"

("Examples")

Work Cited:

"Epic", Poets.org, 17 Oct 2023, https://poets.org/glossary/epic

"Gilgamesh“, World History Encyclopedia, 17 Oct 2023, https://www.worldhistory.org/gilgamesh/

"Examples", Literary Devices, 17 Oct 2023, https://literarydevices.net/epic/?utm_content=cmp-true

Nikola Balážová