The poet Lascelles Abercrombie sets aside theories of epic origins and treats the epic purely as literature: what it is, how it tells a good story while expressing some great aspect of human destiny, and how high purpose shapes its diction and metre. He ranges across the major epic poets, weighing what each achieved.
A short, clear and opinionated study for readers of Homer, Virgil and Milton who want to think about why the epic still matters. Download the free EPUB.