Meaning & use
epic poem
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Meanings
nouncountable
A long narrative poem that tells the story of a hero's great deeds and adventures.
Grammar: Countable: use 'an epic poem' or 'epic poems'.
Patterns
- write an epic poem
- an epic poem about someone
In class we are reading an epic poem about a warrior's journey home.
The poet spent ten years writing an epic poem about the founding of a city.
Many cultures have their own epic poems that were once sung aloud.
nouncountablefigurative
A long film, book, or other work that tells a grand story, especially one full of action and heroism.
Grammar: Often used figuratively to describe any long, ambitious story.
Patterns
- a cinematic epic poem
- an epic poem of a novel
The director described his new movie as an epic poem of the sea.
Her novel is an epic poem in prose, covering three generations.
Word forms
| plural | epic poems |
|---|
Common combinations
- ancient epic poem
- The ancient epic poem was passed down orally for centuries.
- national epic poem
- The national epic poem celebrates the country's legendary heroes.
- write an epic poem
- He tried to write an epic poem but gave up after a few pages.
- recite an epic poem
- Students learned to recite an epic poem by heart.
- epic poem about
- This is an epic poem about a long journey home.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: epic poem or epic?
epic poem vs epic
'Epic' alone can be an adjective meaning 'very great' or a noun for any long heroic work; 'epic poem' is only the poetic form.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'epic poem' correctly?
Choose one answer.
An epic poem is long and tells of heroic deeds, so the Trojan War fits. A grocery list is too trivial, three lines is too short, and a quick note is not an epic poem.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “epic poem”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.