Epic simile
Definition and Origin
An epic simile, also known as a Homeric simile, is a detailed comparison in the form of a simile that is many lines in length. The term was coined by the scholar Richard C. Boys in 1956, and is derived from the epic poems of Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey, where these extended similes appear frequently.
Structure
Epic similes are characterized by their length and complexity, often extending to several lines. They typically begin with a straightforward comparison using "like" or "as", then elaborate on this comparison with vivid and detailed imagery, often drawing on the natural world or scenes of everyday life. The comparison then returns to the original subject, often with a heightened sense of importance or grandeur.
Function
The function of an epic simile goes beyond mere decoration or embellishment. It serves to illuminate the character or situation being described, providing insight into their nature or the nature of their circumstances. It can also serve to heighten the dramatic tension of a scene, or to provide a moment of reflection or foreshadowing.
Examples
One of the most famous examples of an epic simile comes from Homer's Iliad: "As when the shudder of the west wind suddenly rising scatters across the water, and the water darkens beneath it, so darkening were settled the ranks of Achaians and Trojans in the plain."
Another example from John Milton’s Paradise Lost reads: "His spear, to equal which the tallest pine hewn on Norwegian hills, to be the mast of some great ammiral, were but a wand, he walked with."
Use in Literature
Epic similes are a characteristic feature of epic poetry, but they also appear in other genres of literature. They are used to great effect in the epic poems of Homer, Virgil's Aeneid, and John Milton's Paradise Lost. In more recent times, they have been used by poets such as Robert Frost and T.S. Eliot, and novelists such as James Joyce and Thomas Pynchon.