The Genre of Epic Literature and Poetry

The Genre of Epic Literature and Poetry Epic poetry, related to heroic poetry, is a narrative art form common to many ancient and modern societies. In some traditional circles, the term epic poetry is restricted to the Greek poet Homers works The Iliad and The Odyssey and, sometimes grudgingly, the Roman poet Virgils The Aeneid. However, beginning with the Greek philosopher Aristotle who collected barbarian epic poems, other scholars have recognized that similarly structured forms of poetry occur in many other cultures. Two related forms of narrative poetry are trickster tales that report activities of very clever disrupter beings, human and god-like both; and heroic epics, in which the heroes are ruling class, kings and the like. In epic poetry, the hero is an extraordinary but also an ordinary human being and although he may be flawed, he is always brave and valorous. Characteristics of Epic Poetry The characteristics of the Greek tradition of epic poetry are long-established and summarized below. Almost all of these characteristics can be found in epic poetry from societies well outside of the Greek or Roman world. The content of an epic poem always includes the glorious deeds of heroes (Klea andron in Greek), but not just those types of things- the Iliad included cattle raids as well.   All About the Hero There is always an underlying  ethos  that says that to be a hero is to always be the best person he (or she, but mainly he) can be, pre-eminent beyond all others, primarily physical and displayed in battle. In Greek epic tales, intellect is plain common sense, there are never tactical tricks or strategic ploys, but instead, the hero succeeds because of great valor, and the brave man never retreats. Homers greatest poems are about the heroic age, about the men who fought at Thebes and Troy (a. 1275–1175 BCE), events that took place about 400 years before Homer wrote the Illiad and Odyssey. Other cultures epic poems involve a similarly distant historic/legendary past. The powers of the heroes of epic poetry are human-based: the heroes are normal human beings who are cast on a large scale, and although gods are everywhere, they only act to support or in some cases thwart the hero. The tale has a believed historicity, which is to say the narrator is assumed to be the mouthpiece of the goddesses of poetry, the Muses, with no clear line between history and fantasy. Narrator and Function The tales are told in a mannerly composition: they are often formulaic in structure, with repeated conventions and phrases. Epic poetry is performed, either the bard sings or chants the poem and he is often accompanied by others who act out the scenes. In Greek and Latin epic poetry, the meter is strictly dactylic hexameter; and the normal assumption is that epic poetry is long, taking hours or even days to perform. The narrator has both objectivity and formality, he is seen by the audience as a pure narrator, who speaks in the third person and the past tense. The poet is thus the custodian of the past. In Greek society, the poets were itinerant who traveled throughout the region performing at festivals, rites of passage like funerals or weddings, or other ceremonies. The poem has a social function, to please or entertain an audience. It is both serious and moral in tone but it doesnt preach. Examples of Epic Poetry Mesopotamia: Epic of GilgameshGreek: The Iliad, The OdysseyRoman: The AeneidIndia: Loriki, Bhagavad Gita, the Mahabharata, RamayanaGerman: The Ring of the Nibelung, RolandOstyak: The Song of the Golden HeroKhirghiz: SemeteyEnglish: Beowulf, Paradise LostAinu: Pon-ya-un-be, Kutune ShirkaGeorgia: The Knight in the PantherEast Africa: Bahima Praise PoemsMali: SundiataUganda: Runyankore Source:Hatto AT, editor. 1980. Traditions of Heroic and Epic Poetry. London: Modern Humanities Research Association.

5 Facts About PZEVs, Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles

5 Facts About PZEVs, Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles, or PZEVs, are vehicles with engines that have been equipped with advanced emissions controls. This results in zero evaporative emissions. You may have heard about vehicles with the PZEV designation. For example, the 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas, also known as the 2012 Honda Civic PZEV, has a natural gas engine with almost zero pollution-forming emissions. Its been identified as one of the cleanest internal-combustion vehicles to receive certification through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The state of California has recognized this special Honda Civic model with Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle, or AT-PZEV, designation because it meets that states stringent emissions control standards. It also has a warranty to maintain its emissions for at least 150,000 miles or 15 years. PZEVs Are Rooted in California PZEV is an administrative category for low emission vehicles in the state of California and other states that have adopted Californias more stringent pollution control standards. The PZEV category began in California as a bargain with the California Air Resources Board to allow automakers the ability to postpone mandated zero emission vehicles, due to the cost and time necessary for electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicle production. Vehicles that have been manufactured to meet PZEV requirements outside the state of California are usually referred to as super ultra-low emission vehicles, sometimes abbreviated as SULEVs. They Must Meet Specific Standards Certified vehicles must meet tight emission test requirements for volatile organic compounds and oxides of nitrogen, as well as carbon monoxide. Emissions-related components must be warranted for 10 years or 150,000 miles, including electrical components of hybrid and electric cars. Evaporative emissions must be zero. When the California standards were being formulated, it was anticipated that battery-powered cars would be much more readily available soon after the new standards were adopted. Because cost and other factors kept the number of electric cars dotting the highway to a lower number than expected, a modification of the original mandate gave birth to the PZEV. This allowed car manufacturers to meet requirements through partial zero credits. The Name Refers to Emissions, Not Fuel Efficiency Dont confuse PZEVs with vehicles that rate above-average for fuel efficiency. PZEV refers to vehicles with advanced emission controls, but that does not equate with improved fuel efficiency. Most PZEVs come in at about average for their class in fuel efficiency. Hybrid or electric vehicles that meet PZEV standards are sometimes classified as AT-PZEV for Advanced Technology PZEV because emissions are just as clean, but they get much better fuel efficiency. The Standards Demand Compliance Under the Clean Air Act, California was able to set more stringent vehicle emissions standards, including tailpipe emissions. In 2009, car makers were charged with reducing greenhouse gas emissions for new passenger cars and light trucks. Automakers were given eight years to bring new vehicle manufacturing in line to cut pollutants by approximately 30 percent once fully phased in by the end of 2016. Expect to See More While PZEVs and the low emissions movement got its start in California, other states have since followed in the Golden States footsteps. The stricter standards aimed at cutting emissions by approximately 30 percent by 2016 were adopted by multiple states, as well as the District of Columbia. Similar standards are also part of an agreement Canada signed with automakers.