English Literature / Unit 1 ENL 0034 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Epic and Mock Epic
Captions available
The idea
An epic is a long narrative poem on a serious subject in an elevated style, centred on a hero whose fate decides a people's. A mock epic applies that grand style to a trivial subject, as in Pope's Rape of the Lock.
In practice
Grand style, great or trivial subject.
Where people slip
It mocks the subject, not the epic.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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