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Mock-heroic

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 style parodying epic or heroic forms in a comic or trivial context

Detailed Definition
Mock-heroic poetry adopts the elevated style, diction, and structure of classical epic—such as invocations, extended similes, and grand battles—but applies them to trivial or mundane subjects, thereby satirizing both heroic conventions and contemporary social or literary pretensions.
Example
Example in poetry:
Alexander Pope's The Rape of the Lock, which treats the theft of a lock of hair with the solemnity and elevated language of a classical epic; A poem about a simple card game that features divine intervention, battles between spirits, and grand speeches; A text that describes a schoolyard fight using Homeric similes and invocations to a muse; A poem that elevates a common domestic chore, like washing dishes, into a great, heroic quest.
Additional Notes
Mock-heroic: A style of mock verse that applies the grand style and conventions of classical epic poetry to a trivial or domestic subject, thereby achieving humorous or satirical effects (e.g., Pope's The Rape of the Lock).
Also Known As
Mock epic parody epic satirical heroic poem Burlesque
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