Course Sample for Our Experiencing Epics and Poetry Homeschool Language Arts Course
Lesson 1 – Introduction to Epic Poetry
Epic poetry has been an important part of literature, even before stories were recorded in writing. The nature of these long poems, including heroism, adventure, and friendship, have made them surprisingly compelling, even today. The memorability and durability of these poetic stories is due largely to their basis in oral tradition and cyclical pattern of events.
Read a history of epic poetry: https://www.poetrysoup.com/article/the_history_of_epic_ poetry-1399
Read a definition of epic poetry: http://www.chegg.com/homework-help/definitions/epicpoem-39
Answer the following questions:
- What makes a poem an epic?
- What is the basic structure of epic poetry?
- What is the background and the purpose of epic poetry in history?
- What are some famous epic poems?
- Try to name some newer stories that are epics (The Lord of the Rings series, Star Wars)