The Development of the Epic
MASENO UNIVERSITY
FACULTY: ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
DEPT: LINGUISTICS LANGUAGES AND LITERATURE
COURSE CODE: ALI 819
TASK: Trace the historical development of the Epic to date indicating the major turning points in its evolution.
PRESENTED TO: DR. KITCHE MAGAK
PRESENTED BY: JULIE E. OGONYA
REGN. NO.: PG/MA/063/2010
DATE: APRIL, 2010
Introduction
An epic poem is by common consent a narrative of some length and deals with events which have certain grandeur and importance and come from a life of action such as war(Bowra,1945}.It is further defined by the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary as a long poem about the actions of great men and women about a nations history. Philip Sidney {1598} referred to the epic as the best and most accomplished kind of poetry.
Most critics agree that an epic must be a story, and the story must be told well and greatly and whether in the story itself or in the telling of it, the significance must be implied. The prime material of the epic must be real and not invented. But when the story is safely concerned with some reality, the epic poet can graft on this as much invention as he pleases. In addition, the story must be founded deep in the experience of men. Apart from that, historical material can be used to create great epics.
An epic as a necessity has an epic hero around whom the epic centers. The hero must be named and his deeds be assigned to him as he lives in his reputation. In this paper, an attempt will be made to trace the historical development of the epic to date indicating the major turning points in its evolution. The two main types of the epic, the oral and
FACULTY: ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
DEPT: LINGUISTICS LANGUAGES AND LITERATURE
COURSE CODE: ALI 819
TASK: Trace the historical development of the Epic to date indicating the major turning points in its evolution.
PRESENTED TO: DR. KITCHE MAGAK
PRESENTED BY: JULIE E. OGONYA
REGN. NO.: PG/MA/063/2010
DATE: APRIL, 2010
Introduction
An epic poem is by common consent a narrative of some length and deals with events which have certain grandeur and importance and come from a life of action such as war(Bowra,1945}.It is further defined by the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary as a long poem about the actions of great men and women about a nations history. Philip Sidney {1598} referred to the epic as the best and most accomplished kind of poetry.
Most critics agree that an epic must be a story, and the story must be told well and greatly and whether in the story itself or in the telling of it, the significance must be implied. The prime material of the epic must be real and not invented. But when the story is safely concerned with some reality, the epic poet can graft on this as much invention as he pleases. In addition, the story must be founded deep in the experience of men. Apart from that, historical material can be used to create great epics.
An epic as a necessity has an epic hero around whom the epic centers. The hero must be named and his deeds be assigned to him as he lives in his reputation. In this paper, an attempt will be made to trace the historical development of the epic to date indicating the major turning points in its evolution. The two main types of the epic, the oral and