10 Examples of Epic Poems

The epic poems are those poems that narrate battles, adventures and exploits and that have a hero as the main character. For instance: Homer's Iliad.

These poems They are usually very long and, generally, they were first transmitted orally and then moved to writing.

There are different types of epic poems, such as the epic (recounts the exploits of one or more heroes), the sing of deed (It narrates a battle in which heroes participate and is a genre typical of the Middle Ages) and the heroic poem (they are poems that emphasize highlighting the characteristics of the heroes).

Characteristics of epic poems

Examples of epic poems

1. Odyssey from Homer. This is a very long poem in which the return of Ulysses to Ithaca, the place where the hero was king, is narrated, after the Trojan War. In order to return home, Ulises had to overcome various obstacles, which he achieved with his bravery and intelligence.
2. Ajax by Sophocles. Ajax is a character from Greek mythology who fought on the side of the Achaeans in the Trojan War. The story tells of the fury that this hero felt, because it was not he who received the armor of Achilles. This episode generated another series of problems with the Greek kings that determined the fate of the character.
   instagram story viewer
3. The Araucana by Alonso de Ercilla. In this epic poem battles between Spaniards and Mapuches, one of the original peoples of Chile, are narrated. While there are some events that were later verified, there are others that were never verified or that are fantastic.
4. Mirror of patience by Silvestre de Balboa. This epic poem tells of the kidnapping of a priest by a privateer and how the local people fought to save the kidnapped man.
5. The Aeneid by Virgilio. In this epic poem the end of the Trojan War and the founding of Rome are narrated. One of the goals of this book was to connect Roman history with the Trojan. Aeneas is the main character and therefore the hero who fought in Troy and reached Rome.
6. The book of kings by Ferdousí. This long epic poem tells the entire history of ancient Iran up to the 7th century. The book begins with the creation of the world and, therefore, includes myths and legends that are fundamental in Persian culture.
7. Sing of Heike (the author is unknown). This Japanese epic poem chronicles the battles between the Genji and the Heike, which took place in the 12th century. The war between these two samurai clans and other events that are narrated in this poem are very important in Japanese culture, because myths and legends are included that are part of the identity of this nation.
8. Song of Roldán(anonymous). In this long epic poem the battle of Roncesvalles is narrated, which, according to historical sources, was not a very big or very important battle. In any case, the poem served to give a heroic meaning to this battle, since its protagonist and hero is Roldán, a brave knight who was supposedly Charlemagne's nephew and who performs memorable feats and, in some cases, supernatural.
9. The song of my Cid(anonymous). In this Spanish epic poem the conquest of Valencia is narrated, in which the Cid, Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, played a fundamental role. While many of the events narrated are true, there are many that are unproven or that are fantastic. El Cid is the hero of this poem and is the most important legendary character in Spain.
10. Furious orlando by Ludovico Ariosto. This epic poem tells the story of Orlando, another name attributed to Roldán del Cantar de Roldán, and focuses on the war and love events that the character goes through. Unlike the Cantar de Roldán, the stories of other characters are also told.

It can serve you: