How to Write an Epic Poem

Co-authored by Alicia Cook

Last Updated: March 12, 2023 References

An epic poem is a book-length poem that tells a story about a hero’s journey. While the most famous epic poems were written by ancient Greek and Roman poets, anyone can write one. You’ll have to come up with a hero, a reason why they need to leave home, adventures for them to have, and finally, a reason to return home. Take your time with the brainstorming and outlining process, and then draft your epic poem.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Brainstorming Your Epic Poem

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Read epic poetry to learn about the style. If you don’t read, you can’t write, or at least you can’t write as well as you want to. Reading epic poetry is a great way to get ideas for your own epic poem. This will teach you about the style, format, and other features of epic. Check out epic poems from your school or local library, or find one online. Some examples of epic poetry include:^{[1]
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- Epic of Gilgamesh
- Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey
- Virgil’s Aeneid
- Beowulf
- Dante’s Divine Comedy
- John Milton’s Paradise Lost
2
Choose or create your epic hero. You can use a person you look up to as your epic hero, such as a parent, friend, or even a celebrity. You could even insert yourself into your story as the epic hero. Or, you could create a fictional epic hero as the main character for your story.^{[2]
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- For example, if Demi Lovato is your favorite musician, then you could make her the hero of your epic poem.
- Or, if you look up to your dad, then make him your epic hero.
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3
Give your epic hero a task or special mission. The hero of your epic poem should have a special job or mission that they need to complete. This is what starts the action of your story and keeps it going. Think about what that special job or mission might be.^{[3]
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- For example, if your epic hero is Demi Lovato, then her special job or mission might be to save a whale. Or, if your epic hero is your dad, then perhaps his special task or job could be to find and fight a monster to protect humanity.
- Epic poems are often named after their heroes, such as Homer’s Odyssey, whose hero is Odysseus, Virgil’s Aeneid, whose hero is Aeneas, and the Epic of Gilgamesh, whose hero is Gilgamesh.
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Select or create companions for your epic hero. Your epic hero will need people to share in their adventure. These people may journey with them or meet them along the way. You can use real or imaginary people as companions for your epic hero.^{[4]
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- For example, you could give Demi Lovato some other celebrity companions, such as Taylor Swift or Justin Timberlake. Or, you could even insert yourself into the story as a companion!
- If the hero is your dad, then you might include his best friend as a companion, a celebrity sidekick, or a sidekick of your own creation!
- In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh’s companion is called Enkidu.
5
Come up with adversaries for your epic hero. A great story always needs a bad guy or girl, so make sure to think about who your hero will be fighting against. You can even include multiple adversaries if you want.^{[5]
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- For example, perhaps Demi Lovato has to fight against a whale catcher, or perhaps your dad has to fight the monster that he is trying to find.
- In the Odyssey, Odysseus faces multiple adversaries, including a cyclops and a witch who turns Odysseus’ men into pigs.
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Decide how your epic hero will be exiled. The exile phase of an epic poem is what kicks off the story. Your hero may be forced to leave their home for some reason, or they might go willingly in search of an adventure. Decide what you want your hero’s exile to be like and incorporate this into your story.^{[6]
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- For example, if you are writing the story with yourself as the hero, perhaps your exile could be having to change schools or move to a new city.
- Aeneas’s exile is a result of war, and he must flee Troy with his family as it is being attacked.
7
Explain what will happen on the hero’s journey. Once your hero has left home, their adventures begin! What will your hero encounter along the way? This is all up to you and your imagination! You can make their adventures as wild or as tame as you like. Have them get into dangerous situations, fall in love, make new friends, discover beautiful sights, and have a great (or terrible) time.^{[7]
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- For example, if you are the hero of your epic poem, perhaps you will get into a tough situation, meet the girl (or guy) of your dreams, have your heart broken, or travel to a beautiful place.
Tip: Remember that the goal is for your hero to develop during these adventures. The things heroes do and see should help them to build new qualities and skills, which will ultimately make them stronger people.
8
Come up with ideas for your hero’s return home. After your hero has found what they were looking for on their journey, they can return back home or settle into their new home. However, the return home is often a climactic part of the epic poem. Your hero might have a final adversary to vanquish, or some other intense trial awaiting them at home.^{[8]
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- For example, if you are writing about your own experiences with being exiled as a result of having to move or change schools, then you might have a final event in your story that allows you to begin to feel comfortable in the new setting. This might be a school dance, a sporting event, or a presentation you have to give.
- In the Odyssey, Odysseus returns home to find suitors trying to woo his wife, and he must fight them.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Outlining and Drafting the Epic Poem

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Create an outline of your epic poem’s plot. Since an epic poem is so long, it is helpful to outline the action of your story before you begin writing it. Take all of the ideas you have developed for your epic poem, and put them into an outline. Arrange the events the way you want them to occur, but don’t worry if you don’t have every little detail figured out yet.^{[9]
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- For example, you might know that you want your hero to be exiled, and then travel around the world on a search for a sacred object. Then, once they find the object, they can return home to use it.
Tip: Epic poems are often arranged into books or chapters, which each tell of a different adventure or episode.
2
Draft your poem based on the outline. Once you have written out the basic structure of your epic poem, begin to write your story in verse form. Epic poems don’t have to rhyme, but some of them do. You can include a simple couplet rhyme scheme, or go with something more intricate. However, if you don’t want to incorporate a rhyme scheme, you don’t have to. You can simply write the poem in verse form so that each line has roughly the same number of syllables.^{[10]
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- For example, if you want to incorporate a couplet rhyme scheme, then it would look like AABBCCDD…and so on.
- If the first line ends with "trip," then the second line might end with "grip." Then, lines 3 and 4 would end with 2 different rhyming words to continue the couplet rhyme scheme.
3
Include epithets to describe the characters. An epithet is a phrase or word that is repeated in relation to a character in your epic poem. Consider what your hero’s most dominant characteristic is and choose a word or phrase that you can use to represent that in your descriptions of the character.^{[11]
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- For example, in Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus is described as “many-minded,” while his wife is described as “prudent.”
4
Make your epic poem as long as you want. Epic poems are often book-length, but you don’t have to make yours this long. Write as much as you need to describe the events of your hero’s journey, even if that only takes a few pages to do.^{[12]
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- Ask your teacher how long your epic poem should be if you are writing an epic poem for an assignment.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Writing the Invocation

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Save the invocation for last and use it to summarize your story. The invocation is like the introduction to your story, but it is a special format that is included in many epic poems. You need to know what happens in your story to write the invocation, so it is best to write this after you finish your epic poem, even though you will place the invocation at the beginning of your epic poem. Think about what the main action of your story is and how you could describe it in about 16 to 20 lines.^{[13]
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- For example, you could write a list of the people and adversaries your hero encounters to help you draft the invocation.
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Call upon the muses or a specific muse in 1 to 2 lines. Greek and Roman poets often called upon the muses or a specific muse in the invocation, which is a way of asking for inspiration and help telling the story in an interesting way. However, you can also call upon a modern muse when you start your poem.^{[14]
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- You can call on any person or persons living or dead. For example, if you want to call on a favorite musician or band, you could use Beyonce, the Beatles, or Prince for help telling your story.
- For example, you might write, “Sing, Beyonce, of the adventures of the songbird Demi Lovato, Inspire me with your music to tell my tale.”
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Describe your hero in 1 to 2 lines. Next, your invocation should incorporate a line or 2 that describes your hero. Aim to describe you hero’s dominant features in this short section of he invocation and build interest in your story.^{[15]
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- For example, you might focus on your courage as you ventured into the unknown of living in a new city, or you might focus on your dad’s ingenuity and bravery as he looked for ways to defeat a terrible monster.
4
Use the last 8 to 12 lines to outline the hero’s journey. Once you have written a brief description of the hero, move onto a brief description of the events of your hero’s journey. Briefly state what adversaries they encounter, who their companions are, where they travel to, and what they are trying to do.^{[16]
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- For example, you might describe your exile to a new city, mention your faithful dog as your companion, and then say what people and challenges you encountered along the way.
Tip: Keep in mind that the invocation is optional. If you are writing an epic poem for a class, make sure to check with your teacher to see if this is something they expect you to include.

Community Q&A

Question

How many paragraphs does an epic poem have?

Donagan

Top Answerer

There is no specific length associated with an epic poem. It's just "long."
Question

How can I become a great poet like William Shakespeare?

Community Answer

First of all, keep on writing. You can take some writing classes, whether in person or online. Also consider doing theatre, as it may help you with the emotional aspect of poetry. Shakespeare, in his time, was a modern poet. So instead of copying Shakespeare's style, focus on becoming a great poet of the current age.
Question

If I want to be a famous poet how do I do it?

Community Answer

Poets don't really achieve fame outside of their own niche, but learn the language and learn to love the language, and learn how to work with it in your own way. Find a decent writing workshop and keep working at it.