American Division Literature . [ 7 ]

American Division Literature . [ 7 ]

Genre .

The major genres of poetry are defined by patterns of rhythm , rhyme , physical form and subject .

There are three major groups or divisions of poems : classifications that can be further subdivided into many different genres :

 Epic poetry [ written in the narrative mode ] .

 Dramatic poetry [ written in the dramatic mode ] .

 Lyric poetry [ written in the lyric mode ] .

1-]Epic Poetry .

An epic poem is a long poem written in the narrative mode . The characteristics of an epic poem include :

 Elevated style .  Adventurous plot .  Heroic figures .  A legendary main character .  An expansive setting .  Supernatural “ machinery” .

- The narrative as an “ objective” account .

Examples of epic poetry are The Illiad & Odessey by Homer and Paradise Lost & Paradise Regained by John Milton .

Epic poetry usually follows a “ formula” and utilizes a variety of epic conventions :

 A statement of the theme [ called the argument ] begins the epic .

 An epic question is posed to “ invoke” a Muse .

 The story begins in the middle of the action , with explanations given later .

 The main characters give very long , very formal speeches .

 The names of warriors , ships and so forth are listed .

 Throughout the narrative , the poet uses very complex , multi-level epic similes [ extended comparisons ] .

Folk Epics [ Traditional or Primary Epics ].

They were handed down orally and often are of uncertain authorship . Literary epics are imitations of these . The importance of the epic to English poetry should not be underestimated . In the Renaissance , the epic was highly esteemed by critics and has influenced English writers over the years . To cite an example , Milton was influenced by Virgil’s “ The Aeneid” when he wrote  “ Paradise Lost” in 1667 .

The length and complexity of an epic , however , is quite imposing ,hence the birth of the “ mock epic” or mock heroic poem . Example of this { Alexander Pope’s “ The Rape of a Lock” .Forms of high burlesque , these poems apply the conventional forms and styles of an epic to comparatively mundane , unimportant subjects . The grandiose treatment of insignificant subjects creates a comic disparity .

The influence of the epic poem on other narrative poem modes is arguable . Some narrative poems are rooted deeply in the epic traditions ; others are not.  Poems in the narrative mode range from folkloric poems to beast-fabless in verse to “ court epics” to verse novels [ such as Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Aurora Leigh ] .