Identify a feature of epic poetry in the passage. In three to four sentences, explain its impact on the epic's plot.

Answer:

A feature of epic poetry in this passage is divine intervention: a god speaks from heaven and directs Gilgamesh to attack Humbaba. The god's warning that Humbaba may soon become harder to defeat creates urgency. This advice pushes Gilgamesh toward confrontation and advances the epic's central conflict.