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Epic Poetry English 9-9H 2011

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What is Epic Poetry? <ul><li>A long narrative poem on a great and serious subject, relayed in an elevated style, and centered on a heroic or quasi-divine figure on whose actions depends the fate of a tribe, a nation, or the human race. </li></ul>

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Origins of the Epic

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Characteristics of Epic <ul><li>Usually contains several books or volumes </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Many epic poems started from “ oral tradition ” or spoken poems that were memorized and recited ceremonially </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>In the case of the Odyssey, some scholars believe that there were “episodes” that were eventually collaborated into one story </li></ul></ul>

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Characteristics of Epic cont. <ul><li>Original text often has rhyme/poetic devices </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Often in rhyming couplets (aa, bb, cc) </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Alliteration </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Digressions (into other stories/myths) </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Epithets – descriptive word or phrase to accompany or replace a person’s name “ Brave Odysseus” or “ wine-dark sea” </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Repetition or reoccurring lines/phrases </li></ul></ul>

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Characteristics of Epic cont. <ul><li>Contains a hero with specific characteristics </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Known as an Epic Hero </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>More on him later </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><li>The Setting is vast in </li></ul><ul><li>scope </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Sometimes both in time </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>and space </li></ul></ul>

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Characteristics of Epic cont. <ul><li>Starts “ in media res ” or “in the middle” </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Story begins in the middle and flashes back so that the reader can understand the current situation </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Narrator invokes a Muse </li></ul><ul><ul><li>One of the 9 daughters of Zeus that give divine inspiration </li></ul></ul>

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Characteristics of Epic cont. <ul><li>An epic also contains: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Battles </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Romance </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>A great journey </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Lists/Catalogs </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>people, items, genealogies, etc. </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Supernatural influence/intervention </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Called “machinery” </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>A descent into the underworld/Rebirth </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Epic Simile (or extended simile) </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Extended formal speeches </li></ul></ul>

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The Epic Hero <ul><li>The hero is a figure of great national or even cosmic importance, usually the ideal man of his culture . He often has superhuman or divine traits. </li></ul><ul><li>He has an imposing physical </li></ul><ul><li>stature and is greater in </li></ul><ul><li>all ways than the common </li></ul><ul><li>man. </li></ul>

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The Hero’s Journey <ul><li>According to Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces , there are three major stages to the Hero’s Journey: </li></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Separation </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Initiation </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Return </li></ul></ul></ul>

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Separation <ul><li>Call to Adventure </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Hero becomes aware beyond normal existence (usually via a message) </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Refusal of the Call </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Hero denies abilities or desire to leave </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Crossing the first threshold </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Hero is tested and is pulled into the new realm , often against his will </li></ul></ul>

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Initiation <ul><li>The ‘Road of Trials’ </li></ul><ul><ul><li>A series of tests to prepare the hero </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Meeting with the Goddess </li></ul><ul><ul><li>An offering is made given the hero’s success </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Woman as Temptress </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Hero is found occupied/distracted by selfish pleasures </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Atonement with the Father </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Hero comes to terms with parent or protector </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Apotheosis </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Hero is transformed into full potential (or divine state) </li></ul></ul><ul><li>The Ultimate Boone </li></ul><ul><ul><li>A favor, blessing or benefit is bestowed to complete journey </li></ul></ul>

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Return <ul><li>The Refusal of the return </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Hero hesitates to return for various reasons </li></ul></ul><ul><li>The Magical Flight or Rescue from Without </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Hero makes an extraordinary journey back, either reluctantly by force or by choice (with help) </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Crossing the Return Threshold </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Hero has a supernatural force help him cross back over </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Master of Two Worlds </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Hero becomes a bridge or master between the seemingly separate worlds </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Freedom to Live </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Hero has ability to move freely between realms </li></ul></ul>

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Modern Examples of Hero’s Journey

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Homer <ul><li>Stories originated from a series of poets who each orally composes an entirely different version of the story </li></ul><ul><li>Homer is traditionally a blind author of The Iliad & The Odyssey </li></ul><ul><li>A wandering bard, holder of myths and history </li></ul>

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The Odyssey <ul><li>Comprised of 12,110 lines of dactylic hexameter in the original language (Greek) </li></ul><ul><li>Is considered the sequel to the Iliad, an epic poem about the sacking of Troy </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Helen of “Troy” runs away with Paris, prince of Troy, abandoning her husband Menelaus of Sparta </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Follows Odysseus’ 10 year journey back from Troy to his island of Ithaca </li></ul><ul><li>Encounters numerous obstacles as a result of angering Poseidon, God of the Sea </li></ul>

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References <ul><li>http:// homepage.mac.com/mseffie/assignments/beowulf/epic.html </li></ul><ul><li>http://www.authorstream.com/presentation/Urban-49805-Epic-Definition-long-poem-hero-media-res-invocation-muse-battles-romance-the-as-Education-ppt-powerpoint/ </li></ul><ul><li>http://jc-schools.net/tutorials/Eng9/homer.html#PowerPoint_ </li></ul><ul><li>http://www.mythichero.com/what_is_mythology.htm </li></ul><ul><li>http://vabuescher.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/maleheromap.jpg.w560h727.jpg </li></ul><ul><li>http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/300_l.jpg </li></ul><ul><li>http://joefelso.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/homer.jpg </li></ul><ul><li>http://handsomebwonderful.org/simpsons/images/simpson_family/Homer/homer2.jpeg </li></ul>