epic poem

/ˌɛpɪk ˌpoʊəm/

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

   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