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The Epic

Epic

Secondary (Literary) Epic

Literary Tradition

Secondary epics are also called literary epics. Composed by sophisticated craftsmen in a deliberate imitation of the traditional form. An attempt to use again in new circumstances what has already been a complete and satisfactory form of literature.

Composition

More structured and written for readers. The written word. The concern is with the perfection of the word; sentences are carefully fashioned; words and phrases are more carefully chosen. Less use of formulaic repetition.

Heroic Ideal

The hero is more concerned with national or universal duty than with personal happiness or self-fulfillment (e.g., Aeneas leaves Dido to continue his nation’s destiny). In a highly organized society, the unfettered individual has no place. The hero is inspired by service to his nation, world, or cosmos, not by individual prowess. Social ideal replaces personal identity. The hero becomes a symbol for the nation or world as a whole.

Language

A written ceremony. A deliberate distancing from ordinary speech and proportioned to the grandeur and formality of the heroic subject matter and epic architecture. The “grand,” “ornate,” and “elevated” style.

Movement

Toward rebirth. Aeneas leaves old Troy to found new Troy (Rome).

Cultural Origin

Highly structured cultures and societies.

Examples

The Aeneid, Paradise Lost, The Divine Comedy