The Epic
Ok I decided to draw all the parts of the epic together so you could read it as a whole, here it is.
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Here is a great tale
Of times long ago
Where good shall avail
And banish the foe
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There was once a king
Chivalrous and true
As the bards do sing
His crown he did rue
.
His nation did need
A hero of old
Atop a strong steed
With blade of steel cold
.
Now to a young lad
Son of a farmer
The strife heard he had
So donned armour
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His steed was a nag
A sickle his blade
His shirt was a rag
His trousers were frayed
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Down path old and worn
Our hero did ride
The cold he did scorn
The heat he did chide
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To the king he went
To his aid he came
But away was sent
The king thought him tame
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To help he did vow
Against evil fight
He did not care how
So right the king’s slight
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He went to a man
Who had arcane lore
‘Cross all, his mind span
Found the trouble’s spore
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A beast was the prize
Shadow was its cloak
Eventide its guise
And its passage smoke
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The fiend how to slay
The wise man did teach
What words he should pray
The right tone of speech
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Our hero went forth
To the demon’s hide
Out to the cold north
‘Cross frozen lake slide
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Countless leagues later
The hunting ground found
In a great crater
Deprived of all sound
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His sickle laid down
A great shout he rose
And took off his gown
A presence arose
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“Come Shadow Walker
Out of the wan night
Come Silent Talker
Bring fear as your blight
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Come Restless Shifter
Show me your true shape
Come Noiseless Drifter
Shed your masking cape
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Come Shapeless Thrasher
Test now your power
Come Mouthless Gnasher
Me, try to devour
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My kin were once great
So I, you can’t beat
You, my rage shall sate
And Death you shall meet.”
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The beast he did end
He severed the head
And the corpse did rend
Upon its flesh fed
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To the king he went
To prove his power
The kings pride to dent
But things went sour
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The king had no joy
For a great success
Won by a serf’s boy
This he must redress
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The boy he did kill
With savage Night Shade
Hid with fake good will
Our hero’s heart stayed
.
Yet once more he breathed
Saved by the beast’s flesh
His anger it seethed
Him it did enmesh
.
His anger aflame
His triumph soured
The beast he became
The king devoured
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Hope you enjoy, please feel free to comment.
The Lonely Recluse.
The Lonely Recluse
The Lonely Recluse 
perfect talent…
Your words are of higher praise than I deserve Jingle, but I thank you for them from the bottom of my heart.
The Lonely Recluse.
Fantastic epic! Clear and purposeful.
Thank you honeyhaiku I’m glad you enjoyed it and you found it clearer than I did.
The Lonely Recluse.
lol that was cool, looked like a lot of work. I think boogulo should read this he loves epics 🙂
Enjoy the rally!
http://lynnaima.wordpress.com/2011/04/22/on-peace-and-wisdom-haiku-poem-ing-on/
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it. Yeah it wasn’t the easiest poem I’ve written, especially when I decided that all the rhyming couplets had to be different, but it was a hell of a lot of fun to write, seeing where the rhyme would take the story, because I had no idea how it would finish while it was being written.
The Lonely Recluse.
I like your tale. I’m an Arthurian Legend gal. Love the knights and the dragons.
Have you read it out loud to yourself? See what happens to it when you do. What little rhymes might you shift a bit?
I hope there is more of this ready to pour from your pen.
warm regards
jeanne
Thank you Jeanne, I’m glad you liked it. I have read it to myself and there are a few points that would work better if they could be changed but to do so would change the whole structure of the poem so on a grand scale rather than a small scale I feel it more important to keep the structure. There is plenty of poetry left to come (unless the muses forsake me) so keep in touch.
The Lonely Recluse.
Real deep to write an epic. Wait till the King’s allies read this 🙂
Thank you for your kind words bendedspoon I’m glad you enjoyed it. I hope the king’s allies enjoy my style if they do read it for therre is a new beast that may merit having his tale continued.
The Lonely Recluse.
encore to this! great epic though long but is not draggy cos your choice of words is simple and direct! my thursday post : http://fiveloaf.wordpress.com/2010/06/20/me-before-us/
Thank you fiveloaf, we’ll see about the encore at some point possibly. Glad you enjoyed it especially the word choice.
The Lonely Recluse.
Wow! Truly spellbinding work. I enjoyed your epic and was especially glad to have it end like it did with our hero’s perseverance paying off. Bad king…
Glad you enjoyed it Bodhirose and thank you for your words of high praise. I wouldn’t have exactly said his perseverance payed very well, sure the king got his due but the hero became the monster.
The Lonely Recluse
Well written! A snappy saga with a pointed message well made.
Thank you very much forr your kind words Pen, I am truly glad you enjoyed it. I’m delighted that you noticed the message hidden in the tale and hope you learn from the mistakes made therein.
The Lonely Recluse.
Beautifully written epic, and it flowed very well. Esp coz of the rhyme I think. Thank u!
My Post Is Here
Thank you Vinay for your encouraging words.
The Lonely Recluse.
loved the ending xD
Glad you like it. The endings my favorite part as well.
The Lonely Recluse.
Fine epic and I must agree with belladonna23, great ending! I love the way your unlikely hero transformed into the beast he slayed to avenge his own death. I’m impressed by the amount of creative thought that went into this. Good stuff.
Thank you very much for your kind words. I’m glad you enjoyed my little twist at the end. To be honest I don’t know where the creativity came from, I just let my mind wonder and pull out words that fitted the pattern, the narrative just came about of itself.
The Lonely Recluse.
A truly slick and beautifully wicked write!
Thank you for your immensely kind words A.B. Thomas, they are highly appreciated.
The Lonely Recluse.
Beautiful,…this is my kind of poetry. Well done. Inspires me to try something similar 🙂
Thank you for your kind words Emily Jane, I am truly glad you enjoyed it. To hear that it has inspired you to try similar carries a great feeling, thank you for that feeling.
The Lonely Recluse.
That is… well, pretty epic, I adore the ending. It’s pretty inspiring, I once tried my hand at an epic. Nowhere as good as this but after reading yours I feel like trying again. Thanks so much for a great poem. Did I mention I love the ending…
Thank you for your kind words Tally. The ending is my favourite part also. I’m truly blessed to hear that my words have inspired you and hope to one day read your epic. Yes you did mention that you loved the ending :).
The Lonely Recluse.
pure brilliance!!!
Thank you very much for your kind words Mitu.
The Lonely Recluse.
Your words tell a story, very well thought out and imaginative.
Thank you muchly Ewan, I’m glad you enjoyed it.
The Lonely Recluse.
a bard in a former life.
A very poor one if such. Thank you for your kind words, I’m overjoyed that you enjoyed it.
The Lonely Recluse.
A very good story! I’ve never tried anything like this but you might inspire me to give it a shot.
Thank you for your kind words. To hear that my humble utterances have inspired you makes my heart leap with joy.
The Lonely Recluse.
Beautiful…absolutely beautiful.
Thank you for your high words of immense praise Reggie, they are greatly appreciated. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
The Lonely Recluse.
Its really cool. long, but it works well. good job!!!
Yeah, that’s why I put the term epic in there, meaning epic length poetry, not as it it’s epic top. Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the kind words.
The Lonely Recluse.