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heroic poem

heroic poem

7.4
A long poem that tells the brave deeds of a hero
  • noun
  • /hɪˈroʊɪk poʊm/
  • Literature
translation icon : poema heroico
  • But I remembered something Carlyle wrote: "... there is no life of a man, faithfully recorded, but is a heroic poem of its sort, rhymed or unrhymed."

Examples

  • Many cultures have their own heroic poem that celebrates the achievements of their greatest heroes and legends.

  • It follows that when the performance of a traditional heroic poem is chiefly restricted to officially sanctioned occasions such as festivals and state banquets, it has already become an endangered species.

    Academic text (2016)
  • The heroic poem Beowulf recounts the adventures of its titular character, showcasing his bravery and strength.

  • In the ancient Greek tradition, the heroic poem Iliad tells the story of the Trojan War and its legendary warriors.

Synonyms

epic
vsheroic poem
  • Literature
44 5.5

A long poem that tells of a hero's great journeys and actions

is specific to recounting an individual's deeds rather than wider national history
epic poem
vsheroic poem
  • Literature
3 6.7

A long poem that tells the adventures and deeds of a famous hero

is the same concept usually named in literary discussions
epic tale
vsheroic poem
  • Literature
1 5.2

A long story about heroes and their great adventures

is specifically a poetic form telling a hero's deeds rather than prose stories
heroic poetry
vsheroic poem
  • Literature
1 7.6

Poems that tell the brave deeds of heroes from old stories

is narrower and focuses on one hero's deeds rather than broad celebrations
epic poetry
vsheroic poem
  • Literature
1 6.3

A long poem that tells the brave deeds and adventures of heroes

is narrower and used for a single long narrative poem about a hero
epos
vsheroic poem
  • Literature
9.9

A long poem that tells the stories of heroes and shows a society's values

is usually about an individual hero's deeds rather than a collection of works
geste
vsheroic poem
  • Archaic
9.9

A long old poem that tells of a hero's brave deeds

is a modern term used for long narrative poems of heroes

Antonyms

46 3.1

Ordinary written or spoken language that is not poetry

How Long

heroic poem
  • Literature
7.4
ballad
  • Literature
62 3.7
lyric
  • Literature
42 4.6

Surface Forms

heroic poem singular
heroic poems plural

Morphology

heroic + poem

The meaning is directly compositional: 'heroic' (relating to heroes or heroic deeds) + 'poem' (a verse composition) yields a poem about heroes or heroic actions, which a B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer. While the dictionary gloss emphasizes a more specific form (a long narrative or epic), the basic concept is transparent and cross-linguistically predictable.

Etymology

Heroic poem comes from old storytellers who sang long poems about a brave hero and his great deeds for the people. So, heroic poem means 'a long story in verse that tells about the deeds of a famous or legendary hero'.