a. [f. prec. + -AL.]
1. Characteristic of an epic; resembling the style or the subjects proper to epic poetry.
1827. Hare, Guesses, Ser. I. (1873), 224. The simple epical accumulation of sentences.
1838. Emerson, Addr. Camb. Mass., Wks. (Bohn), II. 204. The Hebrew and Greek Scriptures contain immortal sentences…. But they have no epical integrity.
1853. F. W. Newman, Odes of Horace, 27. The rhythm is vigorous and simple, in some sense epical.
1877. Mrs. Oliphant, Makers Flor., Introd. p. xiv. The great figure of the Poet … and the equally remarkable Preacher … give a certain historical and epical form to the narrative.
2. Of the nature of an epic, or of epic poetry: cf. EPIC a. 1.
1845. Maurice, Mor. & Met. Philos., in Encycl. Metrop., II. 565/1. The Epical poetry of the Hebrews.
1850. Blackie, Æschylus, I. Pref. 32. A high-toned epical narrative.
1882. A. W. Ward, in Macm. Mag., XLVI. 425/2. A form of poetry more elastic than either the epical or the dramatic.
Hence Epically adv., in an epical manner; in the style of an epic poem.
1863. Athenæum, 8 Aug., 176/3. We have seen Milton’s vision of Eden treated in fond fancy epically … by a small versifier.
1882. Stevenson, in Longm. Mag., I. 73. Typical incidents, epically conceived, fitly embodying a crisis.
