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 ] .
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