Are elegiac stories better than epic ones? There is considerable debate as to whether an epic poem is better than a narrative elegy. Which is better? This essay intends to present both and demonstrate that they complement each other, but the elegy without epic is not that entertaining. Some great literary scholars think that an epic is better, celebrating the fantastic achievements of a hero, but also incline on elegy because of the fact that it expresses sorrow or lamentation for something. An example of both is "Beowulf". In "Beowulf" you can see epic in the amazing heroic stories, adventures, and battles between Beowulf and Grendel and his mother, but you also witness elegy because of the sorrow and sadness of the hero's death in the end of the story. The first aspect of this essay will focus on elegy. Epic will be discussed further below.
An elegy is poem or song composed especially as a lament for a deceased person, or a lamentable event. Elegies are most of the time in poetic form and include a vivid use of metaphors and similes. An example of an elegy is "The Seafarer". In "The Seafarer" the character practically lives in the sea (not by choice) and tells what he has gone through, what he misses, his hopes, and desperations. In the story the author uses a great amount of similes and metaphors. These metaphors and similes are used to compare what is felt by the character during the whole story. Most elegies contain figurative language that expresses emotions and desires. Elegies can be included in all types of narrations including epics.
Unlike elegies, epics focus more on the adventures outside the head rather than the emotions in it. Epics are very long narrative poems which include heroic characters, noble deeds, incredible battles or events. Epics, like elegies, include a wide range of figurative language. The difference between their similes and metaphors is that the ones in epic narrations mostly describe battles, objects and people (not their emotions) unlike elegies that as explained before focus more on the emotions.
Good vs. ... For example, in the epic "Beowulf", Christianity is seen in the theme of good vs. evil. ... First, this theme can be found in the epic adventure of "Beowulf". ... In this era the common themes are virtue and moral teachings, and good vs. evil. ...