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Mock-epic

Genre
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A satirical poem that treats trivial subjects in the grand style of epic poetry

Explore this topic in depth (1)

Neoclassical Poetry — Neoclassical poetry is often associated with polish, reason and the heroic couplet, but its formal order can carry anger, delight, tenderness, religious seriousness and social unease. This guide maps the tradition and offers practical ways to hear its balance, turns and closing rhymes.

Detailed Definition
Mock-epic is a satirical form that applies the grand style of classical epic—invocations, elevated diction, heroic similes—to trivial or mundane subjects, exposing societal pretensions through ironic contrast; Alexander Pope’s “The Rape of the Lock” exemplifies this, turning a stolen hairpin into cosmic drama.
Example
Example in poetry:
Pope’s “The Rape of the Lock” mocks epic form with trivial subject; In “Mac Flecknoe,” Dryden satirizes bad poets as epic heroes; Contemporary mock-epic: “The Ballad of the Office Printer”; Mock-epics use grand style for mundane events; Hip-hop mock-epics celebrate everyday struggles with heroic flair
Additional Notes
Extended satirical poem treating trivial subject in elevated epic style. Related: mock-heroic, burlesque. Example: Pope's "Rape of the Lock." Tip: Parodies epic conventions—invocations, elevated diction, battle scenes—for comic deflation.
Also Known As
heroicomical epic burlesque
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