Overview:
An epic poem is a rather long poem that tells
a story regarding the heroic exploits of a central,
often bombastic character in such a manner that the
central beliefs and cultural practices of the entire
culture is reflected. For example, in Beowulf,
readers learn a lot about the reward-giving culture
of the Geats.
According to the Wikipedia link, there are
several characteristics to the epic form:
--opens in media res.
--The setting is vast, covering many nations, the
world or the universe.
--begins with an invocation to a muse.
--starts with a statement of the theme.
--the use of epithets.
--includes long lists.
--features long and formal speeches.
--shows divine intervention on human affairs.
--"Star" heroes that embody the values
of the civilization. |
For your purposes, you do not need to have all of these
characteristics, but your general assignments are divided
into two phases:
1. Phase One: Analytical Elements
(1 page)
2. Phase Two: Production (1-3
pages)
PHASE ONE: Student Learning
Outcomes
1. Search for an epic poem from the world's history
of literature. The probable best starting point is to
look through all the entries on the main Wikipedia
site, then to find the original source text, presumably
off of Project
Gutenberg or other such sites. If you cannot find
the original source text, find another epic poem.
2. Select no more than 30 lines or less for your piece
FROM ANYWHERE WITHIN THE EPIC POEM; the main point is
to conduct an inductive analysis behind those lines,
anyway.
3. Referring to and directly quoting from those lines,
what you want to explain is what those lines expose
about the belief-systems of the people who worshipped
or idolized the epic hero. How do the lines specifically
depict or portray a set cultural belief (eg masculine
ideal, body imagery, lack of women's power, etc.) OR,
you may want to simply note specific elements within
the quote that you find are provocative, commenting
on how the elements for that time period are markedly
different from the conventions of today.
Questions worth asking:
A. What are the lines saying? (summary or paraphrase)
B. What is unique to this time period as embodied in
the lines?
C. What do you find personally interesting or appealing?
4. Closely analyze the lines using proper MLA-quoting
conventions and dig into the material of the quotes.
Sample Analysis:
The following selection of text
comes from The Tale of Heike, an ancient
epic that depicts the grand battle between the Genji
(Minamoto) and Heike (Taira) clans:
Sueshige announced his name. "I am Hirayama
no Mushadokoro Sueshige, the Musashi resident who led
the attacks in Hôgen and Heiji!" Then he
galloped forward, shouting, side by side with the standard
bearer.
Naozane pulled out the arrows that were lodged
in his own armor, tossed them aside, faced the stronghold
with a scowl, and shouted in a mighty voice, "I
am Naozane, the man who left Kamakura last winter determined
to give his life for Lord Yoritomo and bleach his bones
at Ichi-no-tani. Where is Etchû no Jirôbyôe,
who boasts of his exploits at Muroyama and Mizushima?
Where are Kazusa no Gorôbyôe and Akushichibyôe?
Isn't Lord Noritsune there? Fame depends on the adversary.
It does not come from meeting just any fellow who happens
along. Confront me! Confront me!"
What is most provocative about these lines are the
extreme ethos displayed in announcing the names
of the combatants. The phrase, "Confront me! Confront
me!" is rather unique, demonstrating something
novel and new. These lines are presumably rooted
in the ancient spirit of bushido, the way of
the samurai. A true samurai would
likely be appalled by the impersonal nature of guns
in the modern age; in this scene, Sueshige and Naozane
announce their names fully, taking full pride in their
family and in their given names--as a mark of pride,
the name of the enemy combatant was given prior to violent
engagement.
PHASE TWO: Production
Student-Learning Outcomes:
Following the style that you have analyzed in PHASE
ONE of the assignment, your task will be to produce
an excerpt of around 30-80 lines, crafting your own
epic poem.
You are encouraged to refer to Vogler's seminal piece
on hero-construction, if you like (brown textbook).
Adopt a unique style and voice that follows epic poem
conventions;
Play with creative use of characterization;
Exercise creativity and have fun with the assignment.
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