Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
I think the Aeneid as a wonderful poem, but I guess that some people perhaps feel that it's slightly "derivative"? Virgil deliberately set out to write a "Roman Epic" basically because Rome had never had a "Homer", and he wanted to show "anything the Greeks can do, we can do better".
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Nice post.
Virgil just did not have enough epic ink in his calamus. And he was somehow forced to write that brick (Oops). This does not take away nothing from his merits as poet. Which are more bucolic then anything else.
Epic is a fascinating genre. Very difficult, especially since "Homerus" set the paradigm once and for all.
When its purpose is to exalt an Empire it more or less fall short (as epic). Kipling is the example that comes to mind.
When it's purpose is to describe the struggle against destiny like with Odysseus it works a little better: For Whom the Bell Tolls, Sholokhov, ...
Epic has migrated to fantasy with LOR.
Recently it has found new singers in films: Kubrick, Eastwood just to mention the more gifted.