An epic is not made by piecing together a set of heroic lays, adjusting their discrepancies and making them into a continuous narrative.

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• Lascelles Abercrombie:

  But the development of human society does not go straight forward; and the epic process will theref

• Lascelles Abercrombie:

  But the gravest difficulty, and perhaps the most important, in poetry meant solely for recitation,

• Lascelles Abercrombie:

  By the general process of epic poetry, I mean the way this form of art has constantly responded to

• Lascelles Abercrombie:

  Epic poetry exhibits life in some great symbolic attitude. It cannot strictly be said to symbolize

• Lascelles Abercrombie:

  For the stage displays the first vigorous expression, as the natural thing and without conspicuous

• Lascelles Abercrombie:

  If epic poetry is a definite species, the sagas do not fall within it.

• Lascelles Abercrombie:

  It is more difficult to keep the attention of hearers than of readers.

• Lascelles Abercrombie:

  It seems difficult, sometimes, to believe that there was a time when sentiments now become habitual

• Lascelles Abercrombie:

  No poet will ever take the written word as a substitute for the spoken word; he knows that it is on

• Lascelles Abercrombie:

  Poetry is the work of poets, not of peoples or communities; artistic creation can never be anything