Finding the Features of Epic Poetry in Gilgamesh

Which features of epic poetry does this passage show?

Check all that apply.

a) a vast setting

b) a supernatural force

c) a hero with great strength

d) a compelling, formal speech

e) a narrative voice

Answer:

The answers are a vast setting, a hero with great strength, a narrative voice

In most epic poems, the purpose is to describe the actions of a hero, especially those involved in the hero's journey. Due to this, one common feature of epic poems is strong heroes, as seen in the excerpt of Gilgamesh because actions such as "They had traveled for just three days and nights, a six weeks' journey for ordinary men" show the strength of the hero.

Moreover, in epics, it is common for the setting to be vast as actions in the story often occur across land or sea. This feature can be seen in "At four hundred miles... at a thousand miles" because it shows that the actions occur across the land.

Finally, like other epics, Gilgamesh has a narrative voice because even though it is organized in verses as a poem, the actions and events are told by a narrative and are described as in stories.