An epic is a lengthy narrative poem, usually about a serious subject matter. The poem is going to contain details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. Oral poetry can be considered a form of epic poetry because people have argued that classical epics were fundamentally an oral poetic form. Majority of epics have been written down since Homer, in fact, the works of Vyasa, Virigil, Dante Alighieri, and John Milton wouldn't have survived without being written down.
The first epic poems are known as primary or original epics. These would include the oral epics, including Homer's, which was found to have been translated from oral form. Any epics that attempt to imitate these, such as John Milton's Paradise Lost are known as literary, or secondary, epics. Epyllion is another form of epic poetry and is a brief narrative poem with a romantic or mythological theme.
In order for a poem to be considered an epic, it must have nine main characteristics. The epic must open in the middle of the story rather than from the beginning or the end. The poem's setting needs to be vast; it should cover many nations, the world, or the universe. The epic poem must also begin with an invocation to a goddess or spirit. The poem will also start with a statement of the theme and will make use of epithets. All epic poems are going to include long lists and feature long and formal speeches. The epic poem is also going to show divine intervention on human affairs and have heroes that embody the values of civilization.
In an epic poem, the hero usually participates in a journey or quest. Along that journey or quest, the hero is going to face adversaries that will try to defeat him in his journey. The hero usually defeats these adversaries and returns home from the journey significantly transformed by the things that he experienced on the journey. The hero of the epic illustrates traits, performs deeds, and exemplifies certain morals that are valued by the society where the epic originates. Most of your epic heroes are recurring characters in the legends of their native culture.
When writing an epic you will need to be aware of the conventions of epics. Even if you are not writing, an epic in order to understand the epic you will need to have a basic understanding of the conventions of epics. Here is a look at conventions of epics:
• Praepositio - Opens by stating the theme or cause of the epic. This can take the form of a purpose, for example, Milton. Proposed, "To justify the ways of God to men"; of a question, for example Homer asks the Muse which god caused the war; or of a situation, for example, in the Song of Roland, with Charlemagne in Spain.
• Invocation - is where the writer of the epic poem invokes a Muse, who is one of the nine daughters of Zeus. The poet prays to Muses to provide him with the divine inspiration to tell the story of the great hero. This convention is only restricted to the cultures that are influenced by European Classical culture.
• In medias res - the narrative opens in the middle of the story where the hero is at his lowest point. To tell the earlier parts of the story the poet will need to use flashbacks.
• Enumeratio - catalogues and genealogies are given. These long lists of objects, places, and people place the action of the epic within a broader context. In here, the poet is also paying homage to the ancestors of audience members.
• Epithet - heavy use of repetition or stock phrases, for example, Homer's "wine-dark sea," or "rosy-fingered dawn".