Classical Chinese poetry forms developing a complete poetic concept; this is, indeed, especially the case with the five-character line version. Also known as the Five-character-quatrain, this form of regulated verse is characterized by four lines of five characters each. Also known as the Seven-character-quatrain, this is a form of regulated verse with four lines of seven characters each. While embracing all, or most of, the "lushi" rules and regulations the "pailu" allows for a number of linked couplets with no maximum upward limit. A strict emphasis on formal parallelism is typical of the "pailu" form. Poems based on traditional structures, originally meant as lyrics
Epic poetry rhyme royal, though in the 16th century the Spenserian stanza and blank verse were also introduced. The French alexandrine is currently the heroic line in French literature, though in earlier periods the decasyllable took precedence. In Polish literature, couplets of Polish alexandrines (syllabic lines of 7+6 syllables) prevail. In Russian, iambic tetrameter verse is the most popular. In Serbian poetry, the decasyllable is the only form employed. Epic poetry An epic poem, epic, epos, or epopee is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily involving a time beyond living memory in which occurred the extraordinary doings of the extraordinary men and women