Epic poems have six main elements: 1) A hero of legendary proportions who is famous for their deeds, 2) An adventure requiring superhuman strength that reflects societal values, 3) Involvement of the supernatural like gods or demons, 4) An omniscient narrator who knows all and remains objective, 5) Beginning in media res in the middle of the action, and 6) Originating from oral traditions passed down for generations before being compiled into written form. Examples of epic heroes and their adventures discussed include Beowulf slaying Grendel, Odysseus in The Odyssey, and Rama battling the demon Ravana in the Ramayana.

1. All About Epics
The Six Elements of an Epic Poem

2. Epic (noun):
A lengthy narrative composed in verse; epics tell the story of a hero or group of heroes.
How many epics do you know?
Shahnameh
(Persian)
Grettir the
Strong
(Icelandic)

3. So what are the
elements of an epic
poem?
1) A hero of legendary proportions
2) Adventure requiring superhuman strength
3) Involvement of the supernatural
4) Omniscient narrator
5) Often in media res
6) Descended from the oral tradition

4. Generally male
The hero of an epic poem is well-known
throughout his own world; he is often famous for
his deeds
 The hero’s actions determine the fate of many
The hero has a connection or relationship with
the gods. He is either a demigod or under their
protection or curse.
A Hero of Legendary
Proportions
Right: Beowulf, the warrior hero of Beowulf, slays the monster Grendel

5. An Adventure of
Superhuman Strength
 The heroes are legends because they are
exaggerations of the normal human. They
have greater strength, piety, valor, etc.
 The hero’s exaggerated trait is a
reflection of his society’s values
 Think back on what we have learned
about tall tales and legends. How can we
apply what we have learned to the study
of epic poetry?
Left: A statue depicting Odysseus, protagonist of The Odyssey.

6. Involvement of the Supernatural
 There are a good many different elements that
may appear in an epic. Gods and goddesses,
angels and demons, and immortality are among
the most common.
Right: Rama, the titular character of the Indian epic Ramayana, is
an avatar of the god Vishnu and must do battle with the demon
Ravana throughout the epic of his life
Involvement of the Supernatural

7. Omniscient Narrator
 Omniscience refers to a narrator that is
god-like in his/her knowledge; an
omniscient narrator sees all and knows all
 Narrators are objective – they do not
insert an opinion as to the goings on in
the story
 Narrative style is distinctive in epics
because of the use of repetition in
phrasing, long monologues, and
extensive use of similes
Left: An illustration from the satirical epic The Rape of the Lock. The
poem invoked the narrative style common to epics to humorous effect.

8. In media res is Latin for “in the middle of things.”
This term refers to a story that begins in the middle
of the action, rather than at the beginning.
This term was coined in reference to epic poems in
particular. The Roman poet Horace used the term to
describe the epic poet’s habit of going straight to the
heart of the action.
It is important to note that not every epic begins in
media res – the Sanskrit Ramayana does not, for
example
In media res
Right: Achilles bind the wounds of Patroclus in Homer’s The Iliad

9. Descended from the Oral
Tradition
 We know many author names: Virgil,
Homer, Vyasa, Ferdowsi, etc. Yet it is
important to remember that these authors
did not create the stories.
 Rather they compiled stories from their
culture, stories that were told generation
after generation, into a written, poetic
form.
Left: A scene from the Iranian epic The Book of Kings, known around the
world as the Shahnameh.