Epic Poetry Vocabulary

a noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or affected by grand events. (Protagonist of Epic Poetry)

• Epic Simile

• Epic Setting

• Epic Hero

• Epithet

small descriptive phrase used to characterize a person or thing

• Epithet

• Allegory

• Epic Theme

• Allusion

A comparison of two unlike things that uses "just so" or "as" and is developed over several lines of verse.

• epithet

• epic hero

• epic simile

• in media res

is a long narrative poem about an epic hero and the hero's journey.

• epic theme

• epic poem

• lyric poem

• play

An epic begins "in media res" which means

• at the beginning

• at the end

• in the middle of things

• outside the story

Epic poetry begins with an invocation to the Muse. This means:

• a prayer or request to the goddesses for inspiration and to do a good job

• a demand to the gods to fix the current situation

• a request for immortality

• telling the gods that you will do a good job without them

These three elements of an epic help the poet remember the lines. One is a phrase about a person, another is a long comparison, and the last is the rhythmic pattern of the lines.

• lofty style

• epithet

• epic simile

• fixed meter

• starting in media res

This element of epic poetry means that the language that tells the story is elegant.

• lofty style

• objective tone

• strict meter

• in media res

The ________, or main character of an epic, embodies or displays characteristics that his/her culture values.

• epic hero

• epithet

• in media res

• epic simile

Which of the following is true about literary epics in all situations?

• It is a long narrative poem.

• The main character (protagonist) is immortal.

• The characters are of common birth.

• They have to have grandiose battles.