Understanding the Epic: A Deep Dive into Poetic Form
Epic Poetry: Form, Evolution, and Historical Context
An epic is a poetic genre consisting of six verses, composed of six feet, either spondees (/ _ _ /) or dactyls (/ _ uu /). These verses recount heroic deeds, both human and divine.
Content Characteristics
Epic poetry encompasses a wide range of themes, often with a broad scope. There is a tension between historical and mythological themes, the latter typically being more prominent. Additionally, there is a tension between the unity of the narrative
Read MoreRomanticism in Spain: Literature, Theater, Prose, and Poetry
Romanticism: A Literary Movement
Romanticism was a literary movement whose heyday was in Europe during the first decades of the nineteenth century. It is characterized by its delivery to the imagination and subjectivity, freedom of thought and expression, and its idealization of nature. Its features are:
- Individualism and subjectivism
- Search for originality and the distinctive features of nations
- Protection of freedom from all points of view of art, which leads to an attitude of rebellion against any
Avant-Garde Movements and the Spanish Generation of ’27
Avant-Garde Movements of the Early 20th Century
Futurism: Celebrated the myths and stereotypes of modernity, such as speed, machines, and strength. Futurists glorified war and advocated for the destruction of museums, libraries, and everything related to the traditional concept of art. It was especially important in Italy, and its founder, Marinetti, was closely aligned with fascism.
Expressionism: A German-born movement that deformed the visible world to transmit a tragic awareness of life. It expressed
Read MoreBritish Literature in the 1930s: A Decade of Change
By mid-decade, this posture had led to the justification of Auden’s murder in the poem “Spain” (Spain, 1937): “The conscious acceptance of guilt in the fact of murder” (now believe in the necessity of conscious murder). In January 1937, Auden went to Spain, but upon returning from the theater, his fascination with radical ideology came to an end. The first encounter with real violence from both warring sides (a similar theme sounds in E. Hemingway’s novel For Whom the Bell Tolls) marked a philosophical
Read MoreShakespearean Sonnets: Structure, Themes, and Characters
Shakespearean sonnets are typically composed of three four-line stanzas (quatrains) and a concluding two-line couplet, all written in iambic pentameter.[19] This meter is also prevalent in Shakespeare’s plays. The rhyme scheme follows an abab cdcd efef gg pattern. Sonnets adhering to this structure are known as Shakespearean sonnets.
Often, the beginning of the third quatrain marks the volta, or “turn,” where the poem’s mood shifts, and the poet expresses a revelation or epiphany. There are a few
Read MoreRenaissance Poetry: Epic and Lyric Masterpieces
Epic Poetry
During the Renaissance in Europe, epic poetry turned its back on the chanson de geste, except in Spain, where it could be encountered in romances. Instead, cult epics succeeded, influenced by Homer and Virgil. Themes developed by some authors, such as Ariosto, were fantastic, while others related recent exploits of a hero or an entire people, as Camoes did.
Ariosto
Ariosto of Este’s Orlando Furioso is a sprawling epic made in octaves. Its protagonist, Roland (Orlando in Italian), has ceased
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