Epic poetry is a long narrative form that tells heroic stories involving supernatural elements. The oldest known epic is the Epic of Gilgamesh from Mesopotamia around 2100 BCE, which tells of a king's quest for immortality. Two other famous epics are the Iliad and Odyssey attributed to Homer, describing events in the Trojan War and Odysseus's journey home. Epic poems use formal styles like dactylic hexameter and involve gods or monsters testing a hero's strength during a journey.

1. EPIC POETRY
TAMSA PANDYA
RESERCH SCHOLAR

2. Definition
“An epic is a long narrative poem
that tells the story of heroic deeds,
normally accomplished by more-
than-human characters”

3. What is EPIC poetry?
 Epic is a Poetic genre where the poems are of considerable length
(massive!) and involve a narrative involving the supernatural
(extraordinary).
 They are Heroic tales of adventure.
 Epic poetry is one of the oldest forms of literature and some even
predate writing and are traditionally told orally.
 The word 'epic' originates from the Greek word Epos, meaning
word, or song.

4. THE ORIGINS OF EPIC POETRY
● The earliest known example of epic poetry is 'The Epic of Gilgamesh', a
Mesopotamian poem thought to be over 4000 years old, with historians
believing it was written in 2100 (BCE).
● It tells the story of the Sumerian king Gilgamesh and his quest for
immortality, meeting all kinds of obstacles on the way.
● Its author is unknown and is written in a language known as Akkadian. It
was discovered written on clay tablets in modern-day Iraq.

5. COUNT…..
● Perhaps the most famous epic poems are those that are credited to Homer, a
major influence on western literature.
● These are the epic poems 'The Iliad' and 'The Odyssey'. ‘
● 'The Iliad' tells the story of the Trojan war in its tenth year.
'The Odyssey' tells the story of the hero Odysseus and his journey back from
Troy after the events of 'The Iliad', and in some sense its sequel.

6. Narrative in Epic Poetry.
● Heroic tales of swords, gods and monsters... there are many
familiar tropes to the epic poem narrative.
● One motivating factor for these heroes is that of fame and glory,
epic heroes wish to be remembered for eternity. As a result, they
defy the gods and fight monsters, leaving home for lengthy periods
hoping to return and be adored. The lives of these heroes are often
short but their aim is to be remembered for their outstanding acts of
bravery by later generations.

7. Differences between Epic and Lyric Poetry
Form and
Length
Narration
and
character
1 2

8. Narration and character
 Traditionally epic poem third-person narration
 Typically following the hero through a series of adventures
 In the lyric form, the poems are normally told in the first person narration
 It don't follow a series of events but consist of the narrator speaking of an emotional experience
about one thing.
 Epic poems, though originating in different parts of the world during different periods, usually
include a familiar poetic form. Sometimes this can be rhyme or meter
 Many lyrical poems are written in free verse, though some may follow traditional poetic forms it
is not necessary for the genre.
 Epic poetry is normally composed at great length, with poems nearly equaling the size of today's
novels.
 Lyrical poems tend to be much shorter, not often no longer than a page.
Form and Length

9. Examples of Epic Poetry
(1)
'The Epic of Gilgamesh'
(c. 2100–1200 BC)
(2)
'The Iliad' (c. 8th
century BC)
(3)
'The Odyssey' (c. 8th
century BCE)
(4)
'Beowulf' (8th
century)

10. Characteristics of Epic Poetry
Style
Muses and
gods
Journeys &
supernatural
Narration

11. Style
● Epic poetry is a narrative written using a formal style,
but what does that mean? When people speak of poetry in
a formal style, they usually mean poems that follow
standard rules concerning rhyme and rhythm. Epic poems
would usually use strict meters such as
Dactylic Hexameter or Alliterative verse to structure
their stories. The poets often used rhythm and repetition
to help memories the often lengthy stories in the poems.

12. Narration
● As mentioned previously, epic poems would more often than not feature
third-person narration, that narrator would also be omniscient. This allowed
the narrator the follow the hero on vast journeys and make the reader aware
of what dangers may lie ahead of them.
“The fire-dragon had destroyed with flames the stronghold of the people, the
land bordering the sea, the fortress of the nation. For that the war-king, the
prince of the Weders, planned terrible vengeance.“
- Example of third-person narration in Beowulf.
● In this quote from 'Beowulf', the reader can see that the fire-dragon is
planning vengeance on the hero, who is unaware of the danger heading
towards them.

13. Muses and gods
● A muse in Greek mythology is a
goddess of the arts, like music, dance
or poetry. Often at the start of epic
poetry, the narrator would call upon a
muse to help retell the story. Muses
were not the only gods who intervened
with the heroes journey, in 'The Epic of
Gilgamesh' the goddess Ishtar proposes
to the hero Gilgamesh, in
'The Iliad', Zeus, Aphrodite and
Apollo all involve themselves in the
trojan war.

14. Journeys & supernatural
● Epic poetry follows a hero through a journey; on that journey the
hero encounters obstacles that are often supernatural. Heroes such as
Odysseus had to find a way past a cyclops (a giant one-eyed
monster) and sirens (mysterious sea demons). Beowulf had to fight
a dragon and Gilgamesh had to fight a hideous beast known as
Humbaba. It is a defining feature of epic poetry that the hero will
come across something supernatural on their travels.

15. Epic Poetry - Key Takeaways
• Epic is a poem of considerable length and
involves a narrative
• The oldest example of epic poetry is 'The
Epic of Gilgamesh', over 4000 years old
• The poems were told orally and repetition was
used to help poets memories the stories.
• Almost all epic poetry tell stories of a hero on
a journey, where they face obstacles like gods
and monsters testing their strength.

16. Little more about Epic Poetry
● Epic poetry's influence on the world today is far-reaching.
● Words like 'epic' are used to describe something that is large or
extraordinary.
● Many of today's films are based on superheroes, who, like the heroes in epic
poetry, possess great strength or smarts.
● The Greek epics of Homer in particular are considered to be a huge
influence on western literature.
● The world of fiction may be a very different place if there was no epic
poetry.

17. Frequently Asked Questions about Epic Poetry
● What does epic mean in poetry?
● What are the examples of EPIC poetry?
● what are the five characteristics of EPIC poetry?
● What is the origins of EPIC poetry?
● Elaborate the genre Epic poetry.
● Write in detailed note on Epic poetry.

18. THANK YOU