The Epic of Gilgamesh | Style

The Epic of Gilgamesh Style

In A Glossary of Literary Terms, literary scholar M. H. Abrams lists five essential characteristics of epic literature: (1) ' "The hero is a figure of great national or even cosmic importance;" (2) "The setting of the poem is ample in scale, and may be worldwide, or even larger;" (3) "The action involves superhuman deeds in battle;" (4) "In these great actions the gods and other supernatural beings take an interest or even an active part;" and (5) "An epic poem is a ceremonial performance, and is narrated in a ceremonial style which is deliberately distanced from ordinary speech and proportioned to the grandeur and formality of the heroic subject and epic architecture" (p. 52). The Epic of Gilgamesh fulfills each of these characteristics in its own distinct way.

The Epithet

Another key technique of the epic style is the use of "epithets," usually adjectives or persistent adjective phrases that reveal...
(read more)