Qu (poetry)

The ''Qu'' form of poetry is a type of Classical Chinese poetry form, consisting of words written in one of a number of certain, set tone patterns, based upon the tunes of various songs. Thus ''Qu'' poems are lyrics with lines of varying longer and shorter lengths, set according to the certain and specific, fixed patterns of rhyme and tone of conventional musical pieces upon which they are based and after which these matched variations in lyrics (or individual ''Qu'' poems) generally take their name. The fixed-tone type of verse such as the ''Qu'' and the ''ci'' together with the ''shi'' and ''fu'' forms of poetry comprise the three main forms of Classical Chinese poetry. Provided by Wikipedia