The short epics are long narrative poems more. They usually deal with topics or details that have to do with heroic works and important events of a culture or nation.
Epics have been a part of literature since the beginning of it. Spanning nearly four millennia, each of the classic works of this genre speak of the human condition.
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They also talk about the nature of heroism and the struggle to overcome the dark forces of the world.
In these pieces of literature complex elements of language are usually combined with themes such as war, betrayal, romance, adventure and reflection. Epics can be semi-true stories or satires of historical events.
In most works a muse is invoked; additionally, epics usually begin in the middle of the story and not tell it from the beginning.
It is also common for them to narrate battles and have ambiguous analogies or elements of fantasy.
The 10 most outstanding short epics
1- Epic of Gilgamesh - Anonymous
It is often regarded as the oldest work of literature that has survived into the Modern Age; it is over 4000 years old.
It was composed in ancient Mesopotamia and tells the story of King Gilgamesh (based on a king of Assyria), who embarks on a quest for eternal life.
Gilgamesh confronts themes common to this genre, such as the human / deity divide, mortality, seduction, and legacy.
As a young godking, his arrogant practices cause trouble for the populace until Endiku, a savage created by a god, faces his might.
This epic follows the king's thoughts after Endiku's death. It's about how to become human, with a great emphasis on immortality.
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This Ancient Greek epic tells the story of the warrior Odysseus, who tries to find his way home from Troy across the Peloponnesian Sea.
Not only must he fight against the malevolence of the gods and the seduction of Calypso, but he must also get home before his wife's suitors convince her to marry any of them.
Many narrative and poetic elements of this epic have influenced many modern works of Western literature.
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It is a national text in most of the Nordic countries and in England. It tells the story of Beowulf, the hero of history and the strongest man who ever lived.
He is hired by Hrothgar to protect his domain from a grotesque swamp creature named Grendel.
Not only does he defeat him, but in the end he also ends up confronting his mother, other hideous creatures, and a fire-breathing dragon.
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This epic was written during the 11th and 12th centuries. It tells the story of the battles of the 18th century between the conquering Muslims and the Franks who defended the territory; this fight was for the region of Iberia and the Pyrenees.
This narrative piece reinforces many of the knights' values, such as gallantry and martyrdom.
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This narrative continues the tradition of interpreting the battles between the Franks and the Saracens.
Furious was a brave warrior in charge of saving his people, but is distracted by a fit of madness caused by Angelica's seductions.
This story juxtaposes the duty to be brave with passionate love, but it also idealizes love by comparing it to a type of madness that overthrows identity.
But at the end of the epic it is recognized that passion is a weakness for knights, and that duty is the most important thing.
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This religious epic, published in 1667, tells the story of the fall of Satan from heaven (he is the anti-hero and fallen angel) and the fall of man, when Adam and Eve eat from the forbidden apple.
It is a story with rather strange descriptions; includes a narrative of angels with flatulence.
It is considered as a rewriting of the fall of Adam and Eve from the book of Genesis, as Milton describes Satan as a seductive and charismatic villain in a brutal war with God.
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It is an imaginative and allegorical vision of life after death according to the Christian religion.
This epic is written in the first person and tells of Dante's journey through the three planes of death.
The poet Virgil guides him through hell and purgatory, while Beatrice (Dante's ideal woman) guides him in heaven.
Although it seems somewhat dark, the Divine Comedy is characterized by its humorous details. It is also notable for its description of hell: a lake of excrement with demons passing gas.
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It is an epic written in the 1st century BC. C. in which the legend of Aeneas is narrated, a Trojan who traveled to Italy and became the ancestor of the Romans.
The first part of the story tells the story of Troy's wanderings to Italy, including an affair with Queen Dido; and the second part speaks of the victory of the Trojans over the Latinos.
In the end his descendant, Romolus, founded the Italian city that bears his name.
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This epic tells the story of the Trojan War between the Greeks and the Trojans, after the kidnapping of Helen of Troy by Paris, the prince of Troy.
Surprisingly many of the popular myths about this event, such as the Trojan Horse and the Achilles Heel, do not appear in history.
The story tells only a few weeks into the final part of the war and focuses on the individual characters who participated in it: Achilles, Ajax, Agamemnon, Hector, Helena, and Melenao.
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This epic written in the 13th century revived Teutonic mythology in Germany. It is about the slow decline of the Burgundian people of the North Atlantic.
Specifically tells the story of Siegfried, an Achilles-like figure who fights dragons, conquers the Nibelungs, and uses his invisible cloak to defeat enemies.
It was in this story that composer Richard Wagner was inspired to produce his material The Ring of the Nibelung.
References
- The 20 greatest epic poems of all time (2013). Recovered from qwiklit.com
- 10 of the best epic poems everyone should read. Recovered from interestingliterature.com
- Top 10 greatest epic poems (2008). Recovered from listverse.com
- Epic poetry. Recovered from wikipedia.org
- Epic poems. Recovered from ranker.com