Compare and contrast the epic poetry of Homer and Virgil. What aspects of oral epic does the Roman author adopt, and what techniques does he abandon? The focus of your paper should be on the technical aspects of the poetry (use of similes, epithets, ekphrases, or repetition of formulas, for example) rather than on plot elements. What do the similarities and differences tell us about how Virgil expects his poem to be understood?This is not a research paper, but rather an exercise in interpretation. Your paper should present a clearly defined, unified and original argument. This argument must be supported by accurate and relevant quotation from the text. Your argument must be grounded in the text itself. Quotations do not count as part of the overall word count. All papers are to be double-spaced, 12 point font, with one inch margins.