Explore the World of Epic Poetry: From Heroes to Satire
Uncover the rich tapestry of epic poetry, from the heroic deeds of protagonists in timeless narratives like Beowulf and The Odyssey to satirical parodies such as Mac Flecknoe. Delve into the realms of canto, mock epics, palinodes, and prose poems, each offering a unique perspective on the power of language and storytelling.
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Epic Poems The Canto Mock Epics The Palinode Prose Poetry Concrete Poetry The Epistle Occasional Poetry Sijo Poems Didactic Poetry Slam Poetry
Epic Long, narrative poem. Hero protagonist acts in mythic or historical ways. Famous epic poems: Beowulf (about kings and monsters) The Faerie Queene (about 12 of King Arthur s knights) Paradise Lost (tells of Satan s fall & the Garden of Eden) Beowulf s author is unknown, Edmund Spenser wrote The Fairie Queene, and Paradise Lost is John Milton s work. Other examples are The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri and Homer s The Odyssey and The Iliad.
Canto A major portion or section of an epic poem Canto is the term used for dividing an epic poem into parts A stanza in a moderately sized poem is much like a canto in an epic poem. Or, you may think of it like a chapter of the epic narrative. Since epics were originally sung, the word canto comes from the Italian for song or singing. Ezra Pound (1885-1972) wrote The Cantos which includes over 100 cantos.
Mock Epic Plays with the style, form & length of the epic poem Satirical Parodies Examples: Mac Flecknoe by John Dryden an epic poem used to insult his literary rival The Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope a petty scoundrel is portrayed as a mythological hero
Palinode An ode or song Retracts or recants a previous poem by the same poet Usually done in a spirited and humorous manner For example: Geoffrey Chaucer s The Canterbury Tales ends with a retraction. Chaucer apologizes for the tales sinful content. By Gelett Burgess Confession: and a Portrait, Too, Upon a Background that I Rue! Oh, yes, I wrote 'The Purple Cow,' I'm sorry now I wrote it! But I can tell you anyhow, I'll kill you if you quote it. I never saw a purple cow, I never hope to see one; But I can tell you, anyhow, I'd rather see than be one.
Prose Poems Prose is written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure. A Prose Poem is not broken into verses, but it has so many symbols, metaphors, figures of speech and elements common to poetry, that it feels & seems more like a poem than a paragraph. An example: Bath by Amy Lowell on next slide
The day is fresh-washed and fair, and there is a smell of tulips and narcissus in the air. The sunshine pours in at the bath-room window and bores through the water in the bath-tub in lathes and planes of greenish-white. It cleaves the water into flaws like a jewel, and cracks it to bright light. Little spots of sunshine lie on the surface of the water and dance, dance, and their reflections wobble deliciously over the ceiling; a stir of my finger sets them whirring, reeling. I move a foot and the planes of light in the water jar. I lie back and laugh, and let the green-white water, the sun-flawed beryl water, flow over me. The day is almost too bright to bear, the green water covers me from the too bright day. I will lie here awhile and play with the water and the sun spots. The sky is blue and high. A crow flaps by the window, and there is a whiff of tulips and narcissus in the air.
Metals Metals by Russell Edson Out of the golden West, out of the leaden East, into the iron South, and to the silver North . . . Oh metals metals everywhere, forks and knives, belt buckles and hooks . . . When you are beaten you sing. You do not give anyone a chance . . . You come out of the earth and fly with men. You lodge in men. You hurt them terribly. You tear them. You do not care for anyone. Oh metals metals, why are you always hanging about? Is it not enough that you hold men s wrists? Is it not enough that we let you in our mouths? Why is it you will not do anything for yourself? Why is it you always wait for men to show you what to be? And men love you. Perhaps it is because you soften so often. You did, it is true, pour into anything men asked you to. It has always proved you to be somewhat softer than you really are. Oh metals metals, why are you always filling my house? You are like family, you do not care for anyone.
Information by David Ignatow This tree has two million and seventy-five thousand leaves. Perhaps I missed a leaf or two but I do feel triumphant at having persisted in counting by hand branch by branch and marked down on paper with pencil each total. Adding them up was a pleasure I could understand; I did something on my own that was not dependent on others, and to count leaves is not less meaningful than to count the stars, as astronomers are always doing. They want the facts to be sure they have them all. It would help them to know whether the world is finite. I discovered one tree that is finite. I must try counting the hairs on my head, and you too. We could swap information.
[Kills bugs dead.] by Harryette Mullen Kills bugs dead. Redundancy is syntactical overkill. A pin-prick of peace at the end of the tunnel of a nightmare night in a roach motel. Their noise infects the dream. In black kitchens they foul the food, walk on our bodies as we sleep over oceans of pirate flags. Skull and crossbones, they crunch like candy. When we die they will eat us, unless we kill them first. Invest in better mousetraps. Take no prisoners on board ship, to rock the boat, to violate our beds with pestilence. We dream the dream of extirpation. Wipe out a species, with God at our side. Annihilate the insects. Sterilize the filthy vermin.
Concrete Poetry Emphasis is on nonlinguistic elements Focus might be on the typeface or font used Poem creates a visual image on the page Nonlinguistic elements tie in to the topic of the poem Examples: George Herbert Easter Wings & The Altar George Starbuck Sonnet in the Shape of a Potted Christmas Tree
Lord, who createdst man in wealth and store, Though foolishly he lost the same, Decaying more and more, Till he became Most poore: With thee O let me rise As larks, harmoniously, And sing this day thy victories: Then shall the fall further the flight in me. My tender age in sorrow did beginne And still with sicknesses and shame. Thou didst so punish sinne, That I became Most thinne. With thee Let me combine, And feel thy victorie: For, if I imp my wing on thine, Affliction shall advance the flight in me.
A broken ALTAR, Lord, thy servant rears, Made of a heart and cemented with tears; Whose parts are as thy hand did frame; No workman's tool hath touch'd the same. A HEART alone Is such a stone, As nothing but Thy pow'r doth cut. Wherefore each part Of my hard heart Meets in this frame To praise thy name. That if I chance to hold my peace, These stones to praise thee may not cease. Oh, let thy blessed SACRIFICE be mine, And sanctify this ALTAR to be thine.
O fury- bedecked! O glitter-torn! Let the wild wind erect bonbonbonanzas; junipers affect frostyfreeze turbans; iciclestuff adorn all cuckolded creation in a madcap crown of horn! It s a new day; no scapegrace of a sect tidying up the ashtrays playing Daughter-in-Law Elect; bells! bibelots! popsicle cigars! shatter the glassware! a son born now now while ox and ass and infant lie together as poor creatures will and tears of her exertion still cling in the spent girl s eye and a great firework in the sky drifts to the western hill.
Epistle A letter in poetic verse Addressed often to a person close to the poet Themes vary moral, philosophical, personal, sentimental Usually fairly long poems Alexander Pope: Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot On the web On the web Charles Bernstein: Dear Mr. Fanelli Go to web Go to web Go to website Hayden Carruth: The Afterlife: Letter to Sam Hamill Go to website
Occasional Poems A poem written for a special occasion or to commemorate an event. An elegy can be an occasional poem when written for a funeral or memorial. Odes can be occasional poems, too. Poems written for weddings, ceremonies, holidays, graduations and anniversaries are occasional poems. Occasional poems are often meant to be read publicly. Of Late by George Starbuck is about the suicide of a Vietnam War protester. listen listen Praise Song for the Day was written for President Obama s inauguration by Elizabeth Alexander Web link Web link
Sijo Korean verse Related to haiku & tanka Each sijo has three lines Each line is 14, 15 or 16 syllables long Total of 44, 45 or 46 syllables in the poem Each line has a pause near the middle (caesura-like) 1st half of line is 6-9 syllables; 2nd half is no fewer than 5 Originally intended as songs 1st line introduces an idea or story 2ndline supplies a turn 3rd line provides closure (Sometimes printed in six lines when translated)
I Will Write a Poem Too by Yi Unsang Up above the shimmering sea, two or three seagulls are hovering. Rolling, wheeling, they write a poem. I do not know the alphabet they use. On the broad expanse of sky, I will write a poem too. . . . . Early Spring by Jung Wanyung While I wash the window, blowing my breath on it, A bird flies and wipes the sky clean. Tomorrow, the magnolia will be out and clean the colors from the clouds.
Didactic Intended for instruction To teach lessons & knowledge To give advice Critics say that didactic poetry can be too instructive and burden the reader with too much information
Slam Poetry written for Competitive Performance Audience members keep score Winners determined by total points Combines poetry, theatre, performance & story-telling Started in early 1980 s in Chicago 1st National Poetry Slam was in 1990 now annual event Three Slam Poets:
