Epithet Creative Writing Assignment
English 9
Ms. Cunning
DUE DATES:
Rough Draft: Tuesday 10/8 (printed copy for Writer’s Workshop with the CFW during class)
Final Draft: Wednesday 10/9—hard copy due in class. Must be printed, stapled, double-spaced, and in 12 pt Times New Roman font. An epithet is an adjective phrase used to characterize someone. It is like a nickname. Take a look at two definitions below. ep·i·thet noun
1. any word or phrase applied to a person or thing to describe an actual or attributed quality: “Richard the Lion-Hearted” is an epithet of Richard I.
2. a characterizing word or phrase firmly associated with a person or thing and often used in place of an actual name, title, or the like, as “man's best friend” for “dog.”
For example:
- Odysseus is called “the noble and enduring man”
-the girl who falls in the lunchroom may be “the girl of the slippery shoes”
-Athena is called “sparkling eyed Athena”
-Menelaus is called “the red-haired king”
-“Dawn with her rose-red fingers” is an epithet given to daybreak
Class Activity—due at the end of class
Directions:
1. Choose a celebrity/character for which you will create three epithets.
2. Find a picture for your celebrity online or in a magazine.
3. Under the picture write a short paragraph with three epithets for your celebrity.
4. The three epithets should be in bold, underlined, italicized or in another color.
5. Title should have your celebrity’s name and the definition for Epithet. (see above)
6. Print it out. If it’s grammatically correct and creative, you get full credit.
Creative Epithet Assignment
Now that you have practiced creating epithets for a celebrity of your choice, it is time to create some for yourself. For this assignment, you must write a story about an event that took place in your life. When choosing your topic, search for an event or adventure in your life that is comparable to one of the “adventures” within The Odyssey. Just as each book of The Odyssey represents a different adventure, each adventure of your life could be classified as a “book” within your own “odyssey” or “life’s journey.”
Vividly recount your story, in which YOU are the main character, in a 2-3 page paper that has a clear beginning, middle, and end, just as each book or saga within The Odyssey has a clear storyline that includes a conflict, climax, and resolution.
As you write your story, carefully and intentionally choose one epithet to bestow upon yourself throughout the course of your story. Remember that epithets are defining qualities. Make sure that your epithet reveals characteristics appropriate to the point of your story. Odysseus’ epithet describes the heart of who he is and reveals some of the most crucial
