Epic 史诗

Explain literary terms epic An epic is a long narrative poem, on a grand scale, about the deeds of warriors and heroes. it is a heroic story incorporating myth, legend, folk tale and history. Epics are often of national significance in the sense that they embody the history and aspirations of a nation in a lofty manner.

cont' There are two kinds of epic: the oral or primitive one and the literary one. The first kind belongs to the oral tradition and is composed orally and recited, such as Beowulf; and only much later they were written down. The second kind was written down at the start, such as John Milton's Paradise Lost.