The Epic Hero

An epic poem is something that illustrates the importance of a heroic figure. Although often exaggerated( let's say all of them are) an epic poem also reflects the values within one culture. Taking the infamous medieval epic poem- The Song of Roland for one, Richard the Lionheart demonstrated great bravery and wisdom. This epic poem is not only one of the most important literary works of the Medieval times, but it also reflects the culture of that time being. It shows that warriors like Richard the Lionheart is highly praised for their immense bravery. This shows that the english people at that time valued bravery over everything else. As in for our sports hero in the present day world, they are stars. Yet the exaggeration used on them is relatively smaller since people now have written history. As in for the comparison between Beowulf and Casy at the Bat, one is a real epic poem while the other is a mock epic. Both uses elegant language to express the feeling of heroism, yet " Casy at the bat" is sort of mocking the epic poem's style. I thought it was pretty funny, though the writer himself did not like it. Don't ever estimate the power of exaggeration, cause it can change a story by great measures indeed. What it had done to the story- " Casy at the bat" was truly " epic" and I loved it!!!