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epic poem

/ˌɛpɪk ˌpoʊəm/
IPA guide

Other forms: epic poems

Definitions of epic poem
  1. noun
    a long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds
    synonyms: epic, epos, heroic poem
    see moresee less
    examples:
    Aeneid
    an epic in Latin by Virgil; tells the adventures of Aeneas after the Trojan War; provides an illustrious historical background for the Roman Empire
    Divina Commedia
    a narrative epic poem written by Dante
    Iliad
    a Greek epic poem (attributed to Homer) describing the siege of Troy
    Odyssey
    a Greek epic poem (attributed to Homer) describing the journey of Odysseus after the fall of Troy
    Nibelungenlied
    an epic poem written in Middle High German and based on the legends of Siegfried and Teutonic kings
    types:
    chanson de geste
    Old French epic poems
    rhapsody
    an epic poem adapted for recitation
    heroic, heroic meter, heroic verse
    a verse form suited to the treatment of heroic or elevated themes; dactylic hexameter or iambic pentameter
    type of:
    poem, verse form
    a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines
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