Every great epic deserves a spectacular soundtrack and we think this month’s playlist is destined to pull you along on a fabulous journey. You’ll find songs inspired by many grand epics and songs that simply sound epic. Listen along and perhaps they’ll spur you to be bold, to take a risk, to dare… Are you ready to click ‘play?’
An epic, specifically, is a genre of classical poetry which originated in Greece. The word comes from the ancient Greek word epos, which means “poetic utterance.”
As an extended narrative in verse form, the epic retells and explains the heroic journey of one person, or a group. Blending highly stylized, lyrical language with superhuman feats and fantastic adventures, the elements of the epic are formed. If you were to examine some of the oldest written narratives, you’d find many of them to be written in epic form. Some examples include: Gilgamesh, Mahâbhârata, Iliad, Odyssey, Beowulf, and Aeneid.
The epic carried important cultural truths but, as M. I. Finley puts it,
“Whatever else the epic may have been, it was not history. It was narrative, detailed and precise, with minute description of fighting and sailing, and feasting and burials and sacrifices, all very real and vivid; it may even contain, buried away, some kernels of historical fact—but it was not history.”
Try It
Write a poem introducing a hero from one of the epic poems listed above (or one you’ve created). Your hero does not lack derring-do or superhuman abilities. What is their name? Describe the exploits of your lion-hearted warrior. What makes this larger-than-life person brave and worthy of an adventure?
Featured Poem
Thanks to everyone who participated in last week’s poetry prompt. Here’s a poem from Andrew we enjoyed:
The Elephants that are Real
I know the elephants upon the wheel aren’t real,
Just stick out cut outs on the floor,
But looking down – oh, on looking down –
My child saw them, and he believed
And something deep inside me thought them real.
Cotton candy stretched in a line – “pink froth
From some old rainbow stream
Which tumbles over rocks and acrobatic lines, ”
I told my son –
He looked, and how his eyes did dream!
Bright colours, silly wigs of twisted yarn
And we go on, oh ever on
‘Neath twirling figures, suspended men –
“You know they’re catching stars up there,
To help the ever coming dawn?”
He laughed. I did not think the elephants real
But looking through his eyes, they are.
Why not, why no magic for all of us?
See how they roll and tumble in our minds!
The best diversion, glowing circus star!
―Andrew H
Photo by Enrique Dans. Creative Commons via Flickr.
Browse more writing prompts
Browse poetry teaching resources
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How to Write a Poem uses images like the buzz, the switch, the wave—from the Billy Collins poem “Introduction to Poetry”—to guide writers into new ways of writing poems. Excellent teaching tool. Anthology and prompts included.
“How to Write a Poem is a classroom must-have.”
—Callie Feyen, English Teacher, Maryland
- Poetry Prompt: Misunderstood Lion - March 19, 2018
- Animate: Lions & Lambs Poetry Prompt - March 12, 2018
- Poetry Prompt: Behind the Velvet Rope - February 26, 2018
Robbie Pruitt says
Inadvertent Heroes
2 Kings 7
Four chance heroes,
leprous and gray,
wondered if they would sit and die
or press on to live another day.
They stood at the city gates
of the famine ravished land,
under death’s shadow,
their time was at hand.
“If we stay here, our life will draw nigh,
but if go into the city, we will also surly die.
We will walk into our enemy’s land,
and put our lives into our enemy’s hand.
If they receive us, we shall live,
and if they do not, it is our lives we will give.”
So, off they went, journeying to the Syrian camp.
They searched for life and hope from their enemy’s hand,
leaving the safety of a sure death for an unknown land.
The four travelers arrived at a deserted place.
No one was found, not one life, not one trace.
The spoils of war were left, as the terror struck Syrians did flee,
running from the four lepers, and the fierce army they thought them to be.
Four inadvertent heroes had stumbled upon victory!
Salvation and riches were gained, and they feasted and drank cheerfully.
The city was spared and the people did eat,
thanks to these four lepers and their accidental heroic feat.
© September 7, 2015, Robbie Pruitt
Heather Eure says
“Four chance heroes, leprous and gray…” Wow! What an opener!! Thanks, Robbie.
Robbie Pruitt says
Thanks for reading and for your comment. This was a fun one to write!
Rick Maxson says
Beast
—for Godzilla
Under the dark tree
trimmed with death masks
of locusts, we played:
crushing the anthills,
descending from black root mountains,
rising from curb lagoons or seas,
to feed upon the villagers.
I have changed my ways:
I ride the uptown bus or
watch your mirrored eyes shift,
from my old Subaru.
I am still feared,
seated and gray, in the isle floor,
reading between Bellow and Camus,
not quite your dream,
stark and serpentine,
from closets or your empty rooms,
touching you in sleep.
Yet, look at me,
when you pass, last row
as the credits roll,
who ascended once on scaled wings
head drawn bellowing back.
Understand why I am last to go
(the achievement is the least),
nor because New York was spared,
but because I loved the beast.
Heather Eure says
This is so much fun to read, Rick. It has the darkened mood and masculinity that reminds me of Beowulf.
Monica Sharman says
Based on one of my favorite Looney Tunes scenes:
https://youtu.be/b0FViwZmsGQ
The Monster Gossamer is the Hero
Don’t let me intimidate you. I only pretend I’m a monster,
big, mean, hairy and scary. But actually
I’m the one who’s scared. And anyway, the sneakers
give me away: I’m just a little kid
after all, not knowing what to say,
how to draw you out, what to talk about, unsure
about looking you in the eye, forgetting
that one day soon I’ll be calling you
friend. When I yell “People!” and turn tail,
terrified, the good thing is
at least I’m breaking through
all those walls.
Glynn says
Went off in a different direction…
Epic
We started from a quiet place
a place of dusty streets and market stalls
noise on market days, noise of animals
and children playing
the world beckoned, its soul yearning
no armies did we lead
no armies did we need
no horses did we ride
an army of two, with sandals
an army of two, without swords
the wind went before us smoothing
our way to the towns and languages
to fields and sentinel farm houses
cities, and temples
cities, and rulers
cities, and governors
cities, and nobles and slaves and merchants
cities, and noise
we conquered with words and spirit
even our deaths conquered provinces
and kingdoms, hearts
from two on a road we found ourselves
leading hundreds and more, thousands
and more until the empire itself
fit within our hands, the greatest empire
before or since
we destroyed it, some say
we saved it, some say
we saved its soul, we say,
its souls, we say
Robbie Pruitt says
This is excellent Glynn!! Heroes, Indeed!