Qu (poetry)

Okay kiddo, have you ever heard someone say that they are going to write a poem? Well, there's a special kind of poem that's called qu! Qu is a type of poetry that comes from ancient China. It has a very specific structure, which means that it needs to have certain things in it, just like how you need certain ingredients to make a cake.

In qu, there are different parts, kind of like how a story has a beginning, middle, and end. The first part is called the "rao," which means to lead into something. This is where the poet will introduce the topic of the poem, like a flower or the moon.

Next, there's the "shi," which is the main part of the poem. This is where the poet will describe the thing that they introduced in the rao. They might talk about the color of the flower or the way the moon looks at night.

After that, there's the "hui," which means to return. This is where the poet will bring the poem back to the beginning, like tying a bow on a present. They might repeat something that they said in the rao or remind the reader of what they were talking about.

Lastly, there's the "po," which means an ending. This is the final part of the poem, where the poet will wrap everything up and give a final thought or message. It's like saying "The End" at the end of a story.

So, qu is a type of poem that has different parts and a structure that the poet needs to follow. It's a special kind of poetry that comes from China and it's been around for a very long time.