This study investigates the evolution of the epic tradition and the transformation of its formal and thematic conventions from antiquity through the seventeenth century. Professor Colin Burrow examines the historical and literary shifts that allowed the epic genre to adapt across centuries, focusing on how individual poets engaged with their predecessors to redefine the idiom. By situating major figures like Homer, Virgil, and Milton alongside lesser-known contributors, the author constructs a framework for understanding the continuity and divergence of epic poetry.

Scholars and students of literature frequently cite this work as a rigorous and comprehensive resource for understanding the development of the epic form. Experts highlight the author's ability to synthesize vast historical periods into a coherent narrative of literary evolution.