Battle of Books As Mock Epic

The Battle of Books as a ‘Mock Heroic’
An epic or heroic poem is one which tells the story of a hero whose exploits
have a national significance. It is a long narrative poem written in an elevated
style. Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey are the best known examples of the epic form of
poetry.
A mock heroic is a work in which a trivial incident is treated with mock

gravity and invested with all the conventional machinery of the epic. Pope’s
poem ‘The Rape of the Lock’ is a typical example of a mock heroic. The Battle of
the Books is undoubtedly a mock epic or mock heroic composition, though it
differs from Pope’s poem by having been written in prose. In other words, The
Battle of the Books is a mock epic or a mock heroic poem in prose. Swift uses the
lofty language of epics and we get what is called a burlesque or travesty. The
purpose here is also satirical. The subject of this mock epic or mock heroic is the
controversy which was then going on between the champions of ancient learning
and the champions of modern learning. Swift depicts that controversy as a battle
which was fought between books of two categories, books written by ancient
authors and books written by modern authors. This battle is fought on the shelves
of a library, namely the St.James library. Swift’s purpose in writing The Battle of
Books was to make fun of that controversy. but even more than that, to make fun
of modern authors and modern learning which he regarded as being inferior to
ancient authors and ancient learning.
War and fighting figure prominently in epic poetry and an epic poem usually
deals with great achievements of a well known national hero. We also read about
the exploits and adventures of individual heroes in epic poems. In Swifts’s work
too there is the battle between the ancient and the moderns and single combats
between the leading warriors of both sides.
Most epic poets begin their work with an invocation addressed to a divine
being, to help them to deal adequately with the lofty theme of their poems. Often
the deity itself is requested to tell the story for this is not easy for an ordinary
human being. This is sometimes repeated when a great event is to be described.
Swift also follows this practice in his ‘The Battle of the Books.’
In epic poetry before the commencement of the battle the chieftains on both
sides are described. Eg. Book II of the Iliad. Swift gives us a list of the various
ancient and moderns who head their respective light horse, heavy-horse, dragoons,
bowmen mercenaries etc.
Another feature of all epic poems is the presence of the supernatural

element. This usually consists of the intervention of Gods and Goddesses in the
human affairs which form the theme of the epic, for the gods and goddesses are not
only interested in what happens here below, they are also often active participants,
helping their favourites and hindering those who are not. Swift following this
makes supernatural being take an active interest in the conflict between the
ancients and the moderns. Thus Wotton is the darling of his mother, the Goddess
of Criticism. She urges the moderns to being the fight and orders two her beloved
children to attend on him in all encounters. Again his prayer to mother is partially
granted by the Gods at her intercession, and she adds strength to his arm as he darts
his lance towards Temple. At the same time Apollo enraged by this action urges
young Boyle to take immediate revenge.
The epic poets represented the Gods in heaven as watching closely the
events below and trying to foresee the future. They were keen on knowing the
result of the great conflict in advance. Towards this end they consulted the book of
fate or weighed the two sides in the divine balance. A description of an assembly
of the gods served to delay the description of the action and to produce and keep
up the suspense. Swift adopts the same devices in The Battle of the Books. While
fight is about to begin Fame flies up to heaven and reports to Jupiter the state of
affairs in the Royal library. The supreme God convokes a council in the Milky
Way. Momus pleads for the moderns and Pallas for the ancients.
Description’s in grand style is an important aspect of epic poetry. Valiant

heroes and daring exploits are described in a style worthy of the subjects. But in a
mock heroic lofty style is employed to describe trivial subjects. The Battle of the
Books is full of such descriptions. Examples of this are the account of the spider’s
web in the terms used with reference to a grand palace as fortress and the
encounters between the champions of the ancients and the moderns.
Heroes make long speeches in epic poems. They may either be monologues
or speeches addressed to others. We have both in Swift’s work. The soliloquy of
the Goddess of the Criticism, the speeches of the Spider, the Bee, Aesop, Wotten
and Bently are examples of this.
Another feature of epic poetry is the use of log similes. Homer’s poem
contains long similes and we call long similes Homeric. Swift has four such
similes, all in the Episode of Bentley and Wotten. The two coming out in search of
some adventure at night are compared to a pair of mongrel curs with ‘tails
depressed and lolling tongues’ setting forth in search of ‘some carcass half
devoured and the refuse of gorged wolves or ominous ravens’
There are several Homeric reminiscences in The Battle of the Books which
again show how Swift tried to parody the epic conventions and practices. Several
mannerisms in language of the epic poets are imitated by Swift. Repetition of the
word ‘thrice’ twice in the same sentence eg. ‘Thrice he endeavored to force his
passage, thrice the centre shook’.
By making abundant use of the epic conventions Swift has produced a mock
heroic master piece.

Battle of Books As Mock Epic

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What are some of the conventions of epic poetry that Swift parodies in his work?

What supernatural elements does Swift include in his work?

The Battle of Books as a ‘Mock Heroic’

A mock heroic is a work in which a trivial incident is treated with mock

Another feature of all epic poems is the presence of the supernatural

Description’s in grand style is an important aspect of epic poetry. Valiant

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