Question

The lines above are from Homer's The Iliad, an epic poem consisting of twelve books (chapters). From this information, you can conclude that an epic poem is

a poem composed especially as a lament for a deceased person.
an extended poem in rhyming couplets describing mythical people and creatures.
an extended poem in dignified language celebrating the feats of a hero.
a 14-line verse form ending in a couplet.

Answer 1

Sing, Goddess, sing of the rage of Achilles, son of Peleus—
that murderous anger which condemned Achaeans
to countless agonies and hurled many warrior souls
deep into Hades, leaving their dead bodies
carrion food for dogs and birds—
all in fulfillment of the will of Zeus.

Start at the point where Agamemnon, son of Atreus,
that king of men, quarreled with noble Achilles.
Which of the gods drove these two men to fight?

That god was Apollo, son of Zeus and Leto.
Angry with Agamemnon, he cast plague down
onto the troops—deadly infectious evil.
For Agamemnon had dishonoured the god's priest,
Chryses, who'd come to the ships to find his daughter,
Chryseis, bringing with him a huge ransom.
In his hand he held up on a golden staff
the scarf sacred to archer god Apollo.