WORLD LITERATURE I

By

Ralph Monday

THE EPIC

THEFALLOF TROY.

We Begin Here: Definition of an Epic

• 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.

• This is the Iliad, one of the most important epics extending into the deep past

• That chronicles an historic explanation of men at war for the honor of a beautiful woman.

Further Definition Of The Epic

• General Characteristics of Epic Poetry: Content:

• features an epic hero who embodies the ideals of a particular nation or culture

• focuses on the struggle for something of value to that culture

• includes a god or gods who intervene in the affairs of men, often to

• aid or punish the hero

• includes "epic catalogs" (e.g, lists of warriors, armor, spoils of war, etc.)

Form: •adheres to conventions of a long narrative poem; that is, it tells a story in verse •exhibits an elevated style and serious tone •incorporates "epic similes" –extended, ornate comparisons using "like" or "as." •uses repetition as memory aid.

Repetition for memory was a common characteristic of Oral traditions of transmission of culture long before weHad MTV.

The Epic As Genre• A folk epic is an epic

poem of uncertain authorship, e.g. Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, the Old English Beowulf, the Sumerian Gilgamesh.

• A literary or art epic is an epic poem written by a known author for a specific purpose, e.g.Virgil’s Aeneid, Dante’s Divine Comedy, Milton’s Paradise Lost.

Achilles

•Supernatural forces—gods, angels, and demons—interest themselves in the action and intervene from time to time.

•A style of sustained elevation and grand simplicity is used.

•The epic poet recounts the deeds of the heroes with objectivity. No interpretative voice interferes in the story.

FURTHERDEFININGTERMS:

Additionally, epics employ some or all of the standard conventions:.

Hand-to-hand combat between heroes.

Descriptions of armor, weaponry.

Sacrifices, rituals to gods.

Bragging, boasting.

Feasting.

Funeral rites, lamenting.

Digressive episodes.

Statement of theme

Invocation to Muse

In medias res

Epic Question

Catalogs of warriors, ships, armies

Extended formal speeches

Stock epithets

Epic similes (extended similes)

EPIC CHARACTERISTICS CONTINUED

The statement of the theme is advanced at the beginning ofThe epic. In the Iliad, the theme is the anger of Achilles.

Invocation of the Muse is similar to a prayer.

The Muses are the Greek goddesses who preside overthe arts and sciences and inspire those who excel atthese pursuits. Daughters of Zeus, king of the gods, and Mnemosyne ("memory"), they were born at Pieria at the foot of Mount Olympus.

Statement Of The Theme

TheMuses.

                                                   

ApolloAndTheMuses.

AchillesGraspingFor theShade ofPatroclus.

Fuseli, 1803.

Aeneas’JourneyAfter theFall ofTroy.

Temple of Zeus

Temple of Apollo

Apollo And The Nine Muses

The NineMuses.

The Nine MusesRoman mosaic found in Kos, 1st century BCGreat Master's Palace, Rhodas.

THE NINE MUSES

• They are goddesses who inspired men and women.

• They were proficient in the arts, literature, and science.

• Their home was near Mount Olympus.

• They were normally seen around Apollo, the god of music in Olympus.

• Calliope—Epic poetry.• Cleio—History.• Erato—Love Poetry.• Euterpe—Lyric Poetry.• Melpomene—Tragedy.• Polyhymnia or Polymnia

—Sacred Poetry.• Terpsichore—Choral

Songs and the Dance.• Thaleia—Comedy.• Urania—Astronomy.

EOS GODDESS OF THE DAWN

She looksRather likeAn angel.

CALLIOPE EPIC POETRY

CLEIO HISTORY

ERATO LOVE POETRY

She inspiredErotic themes.

EUTERPE LYRIC POETRY

The lyric hasA longTradition, andIs a poemSung by aSingle voiceThatExpressesPersonalEmotion.

MELPOMENE TRAGEDY

TragedyOriginatesWith theAncientGreeks.

POLYHYMNIA OR POLYMNIA SACRED POETRY

RitualisticIn nature.

TERPSICHORE CHORAL SONGS AND THE DANCE

An earlyMadonnaOf rockAnd roll!

THALEIA COMEDY

She has aWicked gleam inHer eye.

Wonder whatShe’s smilingAbout?

URANIA ASTRONOMY

Her songCouldMakeYou seeThe stars!