Entertainment / Literature / Mock Epic: In contrast with an epic, a mock epic is a long, heroicomical poem that merely imitates features of the classical epic. The poet often takes an elevated style of language, but incongruously applies that language to mundane or ridiculous objects and situations. The mock epic focuses frequently on the exploits of an antihero whose activities illustrate the stupidity of the class or group he represents. Various other attributes common to the classical epic, such as the invocation of the muse or the intervention of the gods, or the long catalogs of characters, appear in the mock epic as well, only to be spoofed. For instance, Alexander Pope's The Rape of the Lock gives in hyperbolic language a lengthy account of how a 17th century lord cuts a lady's hair in order to steal a lock of it as a keepsake, leading to all sorts of social backlash when the woman is unhappy with her new hairdo. Lord Byron's Don Juan gives a lengthy list of the sexual conquests and catastrophes associated with a precocious young lord, Don Juan. Both are fine examples of the mock epic. In some ways, the mock epic is the opposite of a travesty. See also spoof, satire.
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Mock Adjective Synonyms: deride, ridicule, make fun of, tease, taunt, tantalize, jeer (at), gibe (at), thumb one's nose at, chaff, laugh at, poke fun at, make sport of, guy, scorn, flout, abuse, defy, scoff (at), sneer (at), disdain, disparage, decry, fleer (at)
Mock Verb Synonyms: ape, mimic, imitate, caricature, lampoon, satirize, parody, burlesque, travesty, spoof, take off, send up
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Entertainment / Literature / Epic: An epic in its most specific sense is a genre of classical poetry. It is a poem that is (a) a long narrative about a serious subject, (b) told in an elevated style of language, (c) focused on the expl MORE
Entertainment / Literature / Mock Epic: In contrast with an epic, a mock epic is a long, heroicomical poem that merely imitates features of the classical epic. The poet often takes an elevated style of language, but incongruously applies th MORE
Entertainment / Literature / Mock Sermon: A medieval genre commonly known as 'une sermon joyeux' or 'une sermon jolie,' the conventions are that a non-clerical figure will present a humorous lecture on a non-religious topic (sexuality and foo MORE