Final answer:
The claim that an extended simile is one of the main elements of an epic poem is false. Epic poetry's main elements include heroic figures, vast settings, epic journeys, supernatural forces, and elevated language, not necessarily extended similes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that one of the main elements of an epic poem is an extended simile is false. While extended similes, often referred to as epic similes, are indeed a characteristic feature of epic poetry, they are not considered one of the main elements. Instead, the main elements of an epic poem include a heroic figure, a vast setting, an epic journey or quest, the involvement of supernatural forces, and an elevated style of language. Epic poetry is a narrative genre that often includes scenes of heroic battles, moments of high drama such as reversals of the situation, recognitions, and scenes of suffering, and a formal diction that matches the grandeur of the subject matter.
Homer's epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, exemplify the criteria set for epic poetry by presenting complex stories with multiple plots and recognition scenes. Epic poems also allow for the presentation of many events simultaneously due to their narrative form. This characteristic provides epic poetry with a certain grandeur that differs from the more focused and immediate emotional impact of Tragedy, which is confined to actions on a stage. The concentrated effect of Tragedy and its music and spectacular effects are potentially pleasurable, but they do not allow for the same expansion of action and length that you find in an epic.