heroic verse
Definition
Noun: 1. A type of poetic meter traditionally used for epic or serious poetry: Heroic verse is a specific rhythmic structure in poetry, most famously the dactylic hexameter of ancient Greek and Latin epics (like Homer's Iliad) or the iambic pentameter used in later English epic and dramatic poetry (like Shakespeare's plays or Milton's Paradise Lost). It is characterized by a stately, elevated rhythm suitable for grand themes.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- Milton chose heroic verse for "Paradise Lost" to match the epic scale of his subject.
- The transition from heroic verse in epic poetry to more relaxed meters marked a shift in literary style.
- Translating Homer's dactylic hexameter, the Greek heroic verse, into English iambic pentameter is a significant challenge.
Advanced Usage
- "written in heroic verse": Describes a poem or work composed using this specific metrical form.
- Much of the Aeneid is written in the heroic verse of dactylic hexameter.
Variants and Related Words
- Heroic couplet (n): A pair of rhyming iambic pentameter lines, a form of heroic verse popular in English Neoclassical poetry.
- Alexander Pope often used the heroic couplet for both translation and satire.
- Heroic poetry (n): A genre of poetry that uses heroic verse, typically narrating the deeds of heroes.
- Beowulf is a prime example of Old English heroic poetry.*
Synonyms
- Epic meter: A meter used for epic poetry.
- Iambic pentameter: The specific ten-syllable, five-beat line common in English heroic verse.
- Dactylic hexameter: The specific six-measure line based on the dactyl foot, used in classical heroic verse.
Related Idioms & Phrases
- To rise to heroic verse: To adopt a formal, elevated poetic style for a serious subject.
- The poet rose to heroic verse to describe the battle.
Noun
-
a verse form suited to the treatment of heroic or elevated themes; dactylic hexameter or iambic pentameter
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