Igor's Expedition (Translation Series of Epics of World Heroes)

This ancient Russian heroic epic was written between 1185 and 1187, and the author is unknown. The whole poem consists of a prologue, a central part and an ending, and is based on historical facts from a failed expedition by Prince Igor of Russia in the 12th century. "The Expedition of Igor" is a magnificent work in the history of ancient Russian literature - a work that sheds light on ancient Russian culture and events that occurred in ancient Rus. It is known as a heroic epic. The era when the epic was written was a time when principalities were numerous on the land of Russia, attacking and killing each other. The protagonist Igor leads an expeditionary force to eliminate the foreign troubles of the principality - Mrs. Polov who is entrenched on the Black Sea coast. In Igor, he has both the heroic spirit of defending his nation against foreign enemies and the character traits of pursuing personal honor and acting rashly. Igor's expedition failed. He first became a prisoner of the enemy, and then finally escaped back to his motherland. The epic finally expresses the gist of this work through the mouth of the Grand Duke of Kiev: unite to avenge the motherland and nation and avenge Igor's failure. The work is full of patriotism and a rich lyrical atmosphere when describing the heroic deeds. In the author's writing, the mountains, rivers and scenery of Russia are all spiritual. The work makes extensive use of rhetorical techniques such as symbols and metaphors, showing the inheritance of folk songs and exerting a huge influence on future generations of poets.