Question

from the rámáyan of válmíki
translated by ralph t. h. griffith
the joy of queen kausalyás heart,
in every virtue he has part.
firm as himalayas snowy steep,
unfathomed like the mighty deep
the peer of vishnus power and might,
and lovely as the lord of night;
patient as earth, but, roused to ire,
fierce as the world-destroying fire;
in bounty like the lord of gold,
and justice self in human mould.
with him, his best and eldest son,
by all his princely virtues won
king dasaratha willed to share
his kingdom as the regent heir.
but when kaikeyi, youngest queen,
with eyes of envious hate had seen
the solemn pomp and regal state
prepared the prince to consecrate,
she bade the hapless king bestow
two gifts he promised long ago,
that ráma to the woods should flee,
and that her child the heir should be.
by chains of duty firmly tied,
the wretched king perforce complied
ráma, to please kaikeyi went
obedient forth to banishment.
then lakshmans truth was nobly shown

Explanation:

Epic poetry often contains detailed descriptions to elaborate on characters, events, and settings. In this excerpt from The Rámáyan of Válmíki, there are detailed descriptions of the character's virtues (e.g., "Firm as Himalaya’s snowy steep", "Unfathomed like the mighty deep") and the events (the king's intention to share the kingdom, Kaikeyi's actions). Informal language is not typical of epic poetry which usually has a more elevated style. While nature imagery is present (like comparing to Himalaya, the deep), the over - arching and more defining common feature among the options given is detailed descriptions. Short verses are not a defining feature of epic poetry as epics can have various verse lengths.

Answer:

detailed descriptions