LYRIC AND EPIC

POETRY
These two are the
most common and
well-known types of
literature.
 Length
Epic poems are
usually quite long,
much longer than
lyric poems, which
are short by definition
and usually less than
a page long. The
most famous epic
poems, "The Iliad"
and "The Odyssey,"
both written by
Homer, are as long
as a contemporary
novel. A lyric poem,
as an example is,
The Seven Ages of
Man.
 Purpose
The purpose of an
epic poem is to show
us the deeds of a
particular hero or set
of heroes. It usually
involves important
elements of history
and can spread
across several
countries and periods
of time or across
different planes of life
(for example, "The
Divine Comedy" by
Dante takes place in
heaven and hell. A
lyric poem, though, is
usually focused on an
individual emotion
or experience.
  Main Character
The epic poem is
often written from a
third-person
perspective, with a
writer describing the
deeds of a hero at
the center of the
action. For example,
Achilles is the hero at
the center of "The
Iliad," and Odysseus
is the hero of the epic
poem "The Odyssey."
A lyric poem often is
written from a first-
person point of view,
with an "I" telling the
reader about a
personal experience
or emotional
response.
 Form
Epic poems come in
several different
forms, depending on
the language in which
they are written and
the time period. The
similarity, though, is
that all epics are
written in some poetic
form, often including
rhyming. Lyric poetry,
though often in forms
(such as the sonnet),
may also be written in
free verse with lines
that do not rhyme.