the use of poetic verse throughout the epic
a narrative voice that tells the story
elevated or eloquent, style
compelling speeches
An epic poem is about a hero's journey. In the epic the hero and his accomplishments are described in detail with elevated language. The hero often gives speeches to inspire others. Since the hero's journey is a story of the hero's trials, it is written in a narrative voice.
In the early settlement of America, disease and forced labor played a significant role.
Based on that the use of foreboding in this sentence is used as a noun, the definition of foreboding would be:
A feeling or sense that something bad is going to happen.
