British Culture - User contributions [en]

Mock-epic

2009-07-19T13:34:39Z

Mary: Created page with 'The '''mock-epic''' is a form of satire of the epic. It is " a work in verse which employs the lofty manner, the high and serious tone and the supernatural machinery [...] of…'

The '''mock-epic''' is a form of satire of the [[epic]]. It is " a work in verse which employs the lofty manner, the high and serious tone and the supernatural machinery [...] of [[epic]] [...]to treat of a trivial subject and theme in such a way as to make both subject and theme ridiculous." (PDLTLT 514) It can be almost seen as a case of breaking a butterfly upon a wheel, it's much ado about nothing. Another feature is the extension of the story told.

"The acknowledged masterpiece in this genre is Pope's ''The Rape of the Lock'' (1712, 1714), which he himself describes as an Heroicomical poem." (ibid.) This poem, though, does not contain any heroism whatsoever. It is only based on a coincidence, which is that a man (Lord Petre) cuts of a lock of a lady (Miss Arabella Fermor), which leads to an estrangement between the two families. [[Alexander Pope]] brilliantly builds a whole epic around this triviality.

== Other examples of mock-epic are: ==

- [[John Dryden]]'s ''Absalom and Achitophel'' (1681)

- [[John Dryden]]'s ''Mac Flecknoe'' (1682)

- Samuel Garth's ''The Dispensary'' (1699)

- [[Alexander Pope]]'s ''The Dunciad'' (1728-43)

== Sources: ==

Cuddon, J.A., ed. The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory. Penguin Reference: London, 1999.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/386914/mock-epic

Epic

2009-07-19T13:32:47Z

Mary:

A long narrative poem written in a grand, elaborate style, often celebrating the deeds of mythical heroes and warriors. "It is a polygonal, 'heroic' story incorporating myth, legend, folk tale and history" and is often of national significance. (PDLTLT 264)

There are two kinds of epic:

a) primary or the oral or primitive

b) secondary or literary

The primary epic belongs to the "oral tradition" (ibid. 265) and is therefore composed orally and is recited, but not written down. Nevertheless, some of those epics have been written down much later.
In contrast, the secondary epic is written down from the start.

== Examples for primary epics: ==

- ''Gilgamesh''

- Homer's ''Odyssey''

- Homer's ''Iliad''

- ''Beowulf''

- the lays of ''Elder Edda''

- the epic cycles or ''narodne pesme'' of the South Slavs

These primary epics do all have certain features in common, which are "a central figure of heroic, even of superhuman calibre, perilous journeys, various misadventures, a strong element of the supernatural, repetition of fairly long passages of narrative or dialoge, elaborate greetings, digressions, epic similes (particularly in the Homeric poems), long speeches, vivid and direct desciptions of the kind favoured by the ballad-maker and, in general, a lofty tone; the tone of Classical tragedy." (ibid. 265 f.) Everything in these epics is "larger than life." (ibid.) Another important characteristic is "the use of the stock epithet", which is also known as the "Homeric epithet and the kenning." (ibid.)
The primary epic can be seen, in many cases, as "the result of a number of lays or ballads" that have been gradually put together by a poet or bard (ibid.).

== Examples for secondary epics: ==

- Virgil's ''Aeneid''

- Lucan's ''Pharsalia''

- the anonymous ''Song of Roland'' (originally in medieval French; ''Chanson de Roland'' )

- Camoëns`s ''Os Lusiadas''

- Tasso's ''Gerusalemme Liberata''

- Milton's ''Paradise Lost''

- Victor Hugo's ''La Légende des siècles''

Although "at some stage primary and secondary epic were, in a sense, beginning to overlap and influence each other", (ibid.) most of the other poems known as epics belong to the second category. In general, one can say that from the early 13th century onwards, secondary or literary epic becomes the main form, with Virgil being the principal influence. Some sources state that the secondary epic imitates the [[folk tale]].

Due to a kind of "obsession with the 'heroic'" (ibid. 271), a "counter-genre" set in which resulted in the so-called [[mock-epic]].

== Sources: ==

Cuddon, J.A., ed. The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory. Penguin Reference: London, 1999.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/189625/epic

http://www.victorianweb.org/genre/epic2.html

[[Category:Literature]]

Epic

2009-07-19T12:48:32Z

Mary:

A long narrative poem written in a grand, elaborate style, often celebrating the deeds of mythical heroes and warriors. "It is a polygonal, 'heroic' story incorporating myth, legend, folk tale and history" and is often of national significance. (PDLTLT 264)

There are two kinds of epic:

a) primary or the oral or primitive

b) secondary or literary

The primary epic belongs to the "oral tradition" (ibid. 265) and is therefore composed orally and is recited, but not written down. Nevertheless, some of those epics have been written down much later.
In contrast, the secondary epic is written down from the start.

== Examples for primary epics: ==

- ''Gilgamesh''

- Homer's ''Odyssey''

- Homer's ''Iliad''

- ''Beowulf''

- the lays of ''Elder Edda''

- the epic cycles or ''narodne pesme'' of the South Slavs

These primary epics do all have certain features in common, which are "a central figure of heroic, even of superhuman calibre, perilous journeys, various misadventures, a strong element of the supernatural, repetition of fairly long passages of narrative or dialoge, elaborate greetings, digressions, epic similes (particularly in the Homeric poems), long speeches, vivid and direct desciptions of the kind favoured by the ballad-maker and, in general, a lofty tone; the tone of Classical tragedy." (ibid. 265 f.) Everything in these epics is "larger than life." (ibid.) Another important characteristic is "the use of the stock epithet", which is also known as the "Homeric epithet and the kenning." (ibid.)
The primary epic can be seen, in many cases, as "the result of a number of lays or ballads" that have been gradually put together by a poet or bard (ibid.).

== Examples for secondary epics: ==

- Virgil's ''Aeneid''

- Lucan's ''Pharsalia''

- the anonymous ''Song of Roland'' (originally in medieval French; ''Chanson de Roland'' )

- Camoëns`s ''Os Lusiadas''

- Tasso's ''Gerusalemme Liberata''

- Milton's ''Paradise Lost''

- Victor Hugo's ''La Légende des siècles''

Although "at some stage primary and secondary epic were, in a sense, beginning to overlap and influence each other", (ibid.) most of the other poems known as epics belong to the second category. In general, one can say that from the early 13th century onwards, secondary or literary epic becomes the main form, with Virgil being the principal influence. Some sources state that the secondary epic imitates the [[folk tale]].

Due to a kind of "obsession with the 'heroic'" (ibid. 271), a "counter-genre" set in which resulted in the so-called [[mock epic]].

== Sources: ==

Cuddon, J.A., ed. The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory. Penguin Reference: London, 1999.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/189625/epic

http://www.victorianweb.org/genre/epic2.html

[[Category:Literature]]

Epic

2009-07-19T12:41:29Z

Mary:

A long narrative poem written in a grand, elaborate style, often celebrating the deeds of mythical heroes and warriors. "It is a polygonal, 'heroic' story incorporating myth, legend, folk tale and history" and is often of national significance. (PDLTLT 264)

There are two kinds of epic:

a) primary or the oral or primitive

b) secondary or literay

The primary epic belongs to the "oral tradition" (ibid. 265) and is therefore composed orally and recited and is not written down. Some of those have been written down much later, though.
In contrast, the secondary epic is written down from the start.

== Examples for primary epics: ==

- ''Gilgamesh''

- Homer's ''Odyssey''

- Homer's ''Iliad''

- ''Beowulf''

- the lays of ''Elder Edda''

- the epic cycles or ''narodne pesme'' of the South Slavs

These primary epics do all have certain features in common, which are "a central figure of heroic, even of superhuman calibre, perilous journeys, various misadventures, a strong element of the supernatural, repetition of fairly long passages of narrative or dialoge, elaborate greetings, digressions, epic similes (particularly in the Homeric poems), long speeches, vivid and direct desciptions of the kind favoured by the ballad-maker and, in general, a lofty tone; the tone of Classical tragedy." (ibid. 265 f.) Everything in these epics is "larger than life." (ibid.) Another important characteristic is "the use of the stock epithet", which is also known as the "Homeric epithet and the kenning." (ibid.)
The primary epic can be seen, in many cases, as "the result of a number of lays or ballads" that have been gradually put together by a poet or bard (ibid.).

== Examples for secondary epics: ==

- Virgil's ''Aeneid''

- Lucan's ''Pharsalia''

- the anonymous ''Song of Roland'' (originally in medieval French; ''Chanson de Roland'' )

- Camoëns`s ''Os Lusiadas''

- Tasso's ''Gerusalemme Liberata''

- Milton's ''Paradise Lost''

- Victor Hugo's ''La Légende des siècles''

Most of the other poems known as epics belong to the second category, although "at some stage primary and secondary epic were, in a sense, beginning to overlap and influence each other." (ibid.) In general, one can say that from the early 13th century onwards, secondary or literary epic becomes the main form, with Virgil being the principal influence. Some sources state that the secondary epic imitates the [[folk tale]].

Due to a kind of "obsession with the 'heroic'" (ibid. 271), a counteraction set in which resulted in the so-called [[mock epic]].

== Sources: ==

Cuddon, J.A., ed. The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory. Penguin Reference: London, 1999.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/189625/epic

http://www.victorianweb.org/genre/epic2.html

[[Category:Literature]]

Epic

2009-07-19T12:30:46Z

Mary:

A long narrative poem written in a grand, elaborate style, often celebrating the deeds of mythical heroes and warriors. "It is a polygonal, 'heroic' story incorporating myth, legend, folk tale and history" and is often of national significance. (PDLTLT 264)

There are two kinds of epic:
a) primary or the oral or primitive
b) secondary or literay

The primary epic belongs to the "oral tradition" (ibid. 265) and is therefore composed orally and recited and is not written down. Some of those have been written down much later, though.
In contrast, the secondary epic is written down from the start.

== Examples for primary epics: ==

- ''Gilgamesh''

- Homer's ''Odyssey''

- Homer's ''Iliad''

- ''Beowulf''

- the lays of ''Elder Edda''

- the epic cycles or ''narodne pesme'' of the South Slavs

These primary epics do all have certain features in common, which are "a central figure of heroic, even of superhuman calibre, perilous journeys, various misadventures, a strong element of the supernatural, repetition of fairly long passages of narrative or dialoge, elaborate greetings, disgressions, epic similes (particularly in the Homeric poems), long speeches, vivid and direct desciptions of the kind favoured by the ballad-maker and, in general, a lofty tone; the tone of Classical tragedy." (ibid. 265 f.) Everything in these epics is "larger than life." (ibid.) Another important characteristic is "the use of the stock epithet", which is also known as the "Homeric epithet and the kenning." (ibid.)
The primary epic can be seen, in many cases, as "the result of a number of lays or ballads" that have been gradually put together by a poet or bard (ibid.).

== Examples for secondary epics: ==

- virgil's ''Aeneid''

- Lucan's ''Pharsalia''

- the anonymous ''Song of Roland'' (originally in medieval French; ''Chanson de Roland'' )

- Camoëns`s ''Os Lusiadas''

- Tasso's ''Gerusalemme Liberata''

- Milton's ''Paradise Lost''

- Victor Hugo's ''La Légende des siècles''

Most of the other poems known as epics belong to the second category, though "at some stage primary and secondary epic were, in a sense, beginning to overlap and influence each other." (ibid.)In general, one can say that from the early 13th century onwards, secondary or literary epic becomes the main form, with Virgil being the principal influence. Some sources state that the secondary epic imitates the folk tale.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/189625/epic

http://www.victorianweb.org/genre/epic2.html

[[Category:Literature]]

Humours

2009-07-18T12:01:17Z

Mary:

In the [[Renaissance]] context: the four essential body fluids.

The four humours are closely related to the four elements (fire, air, water, earth). Water is associated with phlegm (produced in the lungs), earth with black bile, fire with yellow bile and air with blood. Ideally, the four humours should be in balance in the body. If not, they determine people's characters: too much blood makes one sanguinic, too much phlegm phlegmatic. A choleric is someone with a surplus of yellow bile; a melancholic someone with too much black bile.

The comedy of humours (associated with [[Ben Jonson]]) has nothing to do with humour in the conventional sense, but with the four humours. It presents characters that are strongly shaped by one humour or that represent (stereo-)types. In the [[Restoration]] period Jonson's model found many admirers, among them [[playwright]] [[Thomas Shadwell]].

[[Category:Literature]]

Panegyric

2009-07-13T15:22:42Z

Mary:

A '''panegyric''' (Gk 'pertaining to public assembly' [PDLTLT 632]) is a poem or speech of public praise, usually for a person of renown (e.g., the king, a minister of state, a war hero).
"Originally panegyric was a branch of rhetoric whose rules were laid down in the rhetorical works of Menander and Hermogenes. Scaliger also provides its rules in ''Poetics Libri Septem'' (1561)." (ibid.)

== '''Examples from Classical times''' ==

- festival oration by Isocrates (436-338 BC) at the Olympic Games in 380

- Pliny the Younger's (AD 61-c.113) euology on Trajan

- Mark Antony's funeral oration in Shakespeare's ''Julius Caesar'' (1599) (ibid.)

== '''Examples from Restoration times''' ==

- [[John Dryden]], ''Astraea Redux. A Poem on the Happy Restoration and Return of his Sacred Majesty Charles the Second'' (1660)

- [[Nahum Tate]], ''Come Ye Sons of Art'' (1694)

== '''Sources''' ==

Cuddon, J.A., ed. ''The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory''. Penguin Reference: London, 1999.

Powerpoint presentation by Anette Pankratz

Panegyric

2009-07-13T15:16:18Z

Mary: /* Examples from Classical times */

A '''panegyric''' (Gk 'pertaining to public assembly') is a poem or speech of public praise, usually for a person of renown (e.g., the king, a minister of state, a war hero).
"Originally panegyric was a branch of rhetoric whose rules were laid down in the rhetorical works of Menander and Hermogenes. Scaliger also provides its rules in ''Poetics Libri Septem''(1561)." (PDLTLT 632)

== '''Examples from Classical times''' ==

- festival oration by Isocrates (436-338 BC)at the Olympic Games in 380

- Pliny the Younger's (AD 61-c.113) euology on Trajan

- Mark Antony's funeral oration in Shakespeare's ''Julius Caesar'' (1599) (ibid.)

== '''Examples from Restoration times''' ==

- [[John Dryden]], ''Astraea Redux. A Poem on the Happy Restoration and Return of his Sacred Majesty Charles the Second'' (1660)

- [[Nahum Tate]], ''Come Ye Sons of Art'' (1694)

== '''Sources''' ==

Cuddon, J.A., ed. ''The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory''. Penguin Reference: London, 1999.

Powerpoint presentation by Anette Pankratz

Panegyric

2009-07-13T15:03:26Z

Mary:

A '''panegyric''' (Gk 'pertaining to public assembly') is a poem or speech of public praise, usually for a person of renown (e.g., the king, a minister of state, a war hero).
"Originally panegyric was a branch of rhetoric whose rules were laid down in the rhetorical works of Menander and Hermogenes. Scaliger also provides its rules in ''Poetics Libri Septem''(1561)." (PDLTLT 632)

== '''Examples from Classical times''' ==

- the festival oration delivered by Isocrates (436-338 BC)at the Olympic Games in 380

- Pliny the Younger's (AD 61-c.113) euology on Trajan

- Mark Antony's funeral oration in Shakespeare's ''Julius Caesar'' (1599) (ibid.)

== '''Examples from Restoration times''' ==

- [[John Dryden]], ''Astraea Redux. A Poem on the Happy Restoration and Return of his Sacred Majesty Charles the Second'' (1660)

- [[Nahum Tate]], ''Come Ye Sons of Art'' (1694)

== '''Sources''' ==

Cuddon, J.A., ed. ''The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory''. Penguin Reference: London, 1999.

Powerpoint presentation by Anette Pankratz

Panegyric

2009-07-13T14:58:32Z

Mary: /* Source */

(Gk 'pertaining to public assembly') Poem or speech of public praise, usually for a person of renown (e.g., the king, a minister of state, a war hero).
Originally panegyric was a branch of rhetoric whose rules were laid down in the rhetorical works of Menander and Hermogenes. Scaliger also provides its rules in ''Poetics Libri Septem''(1561).

== '''Examples from Classical times''' ==

- the festival oration delivered by Isocrates (436-338 BC)on the occasion of the Olympian games in 380

- Pliny the Younger's (AD 61-c.113) euology on Trajan

- Mark Antony's funeral oration in Shakespeare's ''Julius Caesar'' (1599)

== '''Examples from Restoration times''' ==

- [[John Dryden]], ''Astraea Redux. A Poem on the Happy Restoration and Return of his Sacred Majesty Charles the Second'' (1660)

- [[Nahum Tate]], ''Come Ye Sons of Art'' (1694)

== '''Sources''' ==

Cuddon, J.A., ed. ''The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory''. Penguin Reference: London, 1999.

Powerpoint presentation by Anette Pankratz

Panegyric

2009-07-13T14:55:42Z

Mary:

(Gk 'pertaining to public assembly') Poem or speech of public praise, usually for a person of renown (e.g., the king, a minister of state, a war hero).
Originally panegyric was a branch of rhetoric whose rules were laid down in the rhetorical works of Menander and Hermogenes. Scaliger also provides its rules in ''Poetics Libri Septem''(1561).

== '''Examples from Classical times''' ==

- the festival oration delivered by Isocrates (436-338 BC)on the occasion of the Olympian games in 380

- Pliny the Younger's (AD 61-c.113) euology on Trajan

- Mark Antony's funeral oration in Shakespeare's ''Julius Caesar'' (1599)

== '''Examples from Restoration times''' ==

- [[John Dryden]], ''Astraea Redux. A Poem on the Happy Restoration and Return of his Sacred Majesty Charles the Second'' (1660)

- [[Nahum Tate]], ''Come Ye Sons of Art'' (1694)

== '''Source''' ==

Cuddon, J.A., ed. ''The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory''. Penguin Reference: London, 1999.

Powerpoint presentation by Anette Pankratz