Assignment paper on

The features of epic

Prepared by Mushin K (MA69)
Course code LIT 112
Submitted to Mr. Rajashekar V

The features of epic

The first generation computers were large enough to fill a room. It is as if man didnt bother
about size while developing new concepts. The same is the case with poetry, the epic poetry
is considered as one of the first literary works of English. Any lengthy narration with a little
poetic touch and heroic description cannot be termed as epic, rather there are some
characteristic features that make an epic. Here is a brief discussion about them.
The Wikipedia defines epic as a long narrative poem in elevated style presenting characters
of high position in adventures forming an organic whole through their relation to a central
heroic figure and through their development of episodes important to the history of a nation
or race. The definition shows almost all its properties.

The purpose of Epic

The epic aims ay glorifying heroic characters especially those related to the royal families or
political power heads as the earlier cultural signs were thought to be the royal property and
almost all the kings had special poets known as bards.
Furthermore the epics were sung before a battle, and such recitations had tremendous effect
on the morale of the combatants. This is to be put long with the fact that the content, more
often than not, was the heroic deeds and brave performances of the warriors in action. The
supernatural elements such as the paradise for martyrdom complimented to this function as
well.
It really needs no special mention that the epic poetry was also used as preaching agents
especially in the form of encomium for religious institutions and practices.

The characteristics of epic

1) The setting is normally vast and sometimes expansive without limits. It cuts across the
borders of nations and even the geographical assumptions such as cosmological and
supernatural realms like heaven and hell.
This vast setting gives enough space for the poet to reinvent his imagination and fulfill the
function with the least worry about the rational confrontations from the audience. After all
the popularity of epic was at its peak in an age of little scientific reason and rational
questions.
2) The plot opens to the middle of action and the details come to be clear only as the story
proceeds. This has a dramatic effect on the audience as they are held in suspense and are
moved from one specific point of time or space to another as in a time machine. This is done
using the techniques such as flashbacks, dialogues or even the direct description of the past
by the author himself. A good example of such a n outset can be seen in Homers Odyssey.
3) As the poets of that time were highly religious just like their contemporary society, the divine
blessings were sought in the very beginning by the invocation of Muse, the god of knowledge
and literature in the Greek belief, or some other divine symbols.

4) The theme of epic is also described at the very beginning. The poet may venture directly to
spell out the theme like saying Of the war and valour let me sing, or similar statements that
make the theme clearly pronounced.
The starting of the epic poetries is in some other ways also. For example, Catalogues and
genealogies are given. These long lists of objects, places, and people place the finite action of
the epic within a broader, universal context. Often, the poet is also paying homage to the
ancestors of audience members.
Also in some cases one or more conventions are followed such as introducing the theme and
describing catalogues and genealogies meanwhile.
5) The leading characters are figures of national importance or of high legendary and heroic
value as it is clear from the purpose of epic poetry. The hero is not just a human of normal
qualities, rather he is to be in an elevated position to be able to perfect everything and
accomplish the impossible missions. The narrative is focused on the exploits of a hero or
demigod who represents the cultural values of a race, nation, or religious group.
The heroes become in many cases accompanied by the aids of supernatural powers and
heavenly interventions in order to finish what would seem beyond the abilities of normal
flesh and blood.
In post modern literary criticism, suchlike limitless embellishments may seem absurd and we
are not at all supposed to swallow the hollow descriptions made by the narrator. But at a time
when the death of the author was not substantiated or even thought about, the poet was at
ease in creating a superhero with boundless powers and mesmerizing features.
At the end the hero is rewarded with success and sometimes goes to the paradisal palaces of
heaven. On the contrary the villain, as it is predictable, has to swallow the bitter pill of
frustration and failure and may even go to the tortures of inferno or hell.
As mentioned earlier the climax is in accordance with the popular belief or the cultural
orientation of the audience for the then-art was considered only to satisfy the audience rather
than being a critical insider dealing with the flaws of society.
6) Supernaturalism is a must-have feature of an every epic. Without having to use supernatural
elements, no epic would certainly produce awe and wonder. There are certainly gods,
demons, angels, fairies, and use of supernatural forces like natural catastrophes in every epic.
At the same time one must bear in mind that the typically good supernatural forces are always
in favour of the hero as his complimenting agents while the other typically ill characters of
metaphysics are for the villain. These supernatural elements must have been crucial roleplayers in the didactic epics also.
Sometimes the poet himself sets out a journey to the underworld in order to find the elevated
position of his hero character as seen in the imaginary conversations of hell-dwellers. This
style is found in some post modern satires also that try to critcise certain political or religious
symbols by the self-invented depiction of posthumous lives. But in the ancient era of high
popularity for epic this supernatural description was considered to be the norm and this too
was done in a highly embellished and polished language that had a mesmerizing effect on
people who forget their own rational conviction.

The language of epic

The language is thought to be the soul of every literary work. No sublime idea or imagination
cannot be transformed into a great literature without the help of an appropriate language as
the new discourses find out that art is not mimesis but the expression of a certain impression

the artist has about his surrounding at a certain point of time. This is to say that the language
of epic needs to be exalted in every manner.
As far as the epic poet is concerned, he uses a language of too much adorns and verbal
mesmerisms along with an appropriate stylistic tone. This grandeur is kept intact from the
first line to the concluding remarks of the epic.
Exaggeration is also an important part of this genre. The poet uses hyperbole to reveal the
prowess of a hero. He doesnt think twice to use exaggeration to make an impression on the
audience and this hyperbolic and exalted presentation is the real soul of epic.
Epic similes are also widely used. This concept is championed by Homer through his
classical works Iliad and Odyssey. Also known as Homeric simile, it is a detailed comparison
in the form of a simile that is many lines in length.The object of the comparison is usually
something strange or unfamiliar to something ordinary and familiar.TheIliad, for instance,
contains many such similes comparing fighting warriors to lions attacking wild boars or other
prey. This takes the audience out of battlefields in stage to somewhere with more life and
sensation.
The speech is usually long and formal as if the characters convey more through their words,
quite contrary to the post modern poetry or plays where a good deal of data is available from
plot or actions rather than their direct speeches.
The diction of every epic is lofty, grand and elegant. No trivial, common or colloquial
language is used in epic. The poet tries to use sublime words to describe the events as this is
meant for the pleasing of the elite and the royal. Moreover the subaltern literature has a very
recent origin and till then the art and literature were thought to be reserved for the elite. That
is why the elite diction is termed as formal in almost every language and the colloquial ones
despite their earlier origin is not able to enjoy this status. That is how such discourses look at
the language.
To put in a nutshell, epic poetry is thought to be the earliest literary genre and it is
characterized by its lengthy size. The above discussion on the features of epic is not
comprehensive but maximum attempt has been made to include data as much as possible and
there may be variations in the epic forms according to their age as the earlier ones were to be
recited while the later ones were to be read.
As it is said that test cricket matches can measure a real player, the epic poetry is the game of
the most gifted men of letters as it needs to keep its grandeur and beauty despite its marathonlike length.