Encyclopedia of Literary Epics

A reference offering literature students an overview of the world tradition of epic poetry, concise synopses of representative works, and brief biographical backgrounds of the authors. The encyclopedia measures the poems for selection by their scope, history, and mythic value, covering the Western literary canon from Vergil to the epics of Europe, modern works such as Pound's Cantos and Zukofsky's A , as well as epics from Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Includes photographs and illustrations. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.