Qu+（poetry）

=Qu (poetry)=

In Chinese literature, //**qu**// (Chinese: 曲), or //**yuanqu**// (元曲) consists of //sanqu// (散曲) and //zaju// (雜劇). Along with //shi// and //ci//, the former comprises Chinese poetry. The latter is a form of Chinese opera. //Qu// became popular during the late Southern Song Dynasty, and reached its highest popularity in Yuan Dynasty, therefore it is often called //yuanqu// (元曲). Both //sanqu// and //ci// are lyrics written to fit a particular melody, but //sanqu// differs from //ci// in that it is more colloquial, and is allowed to contain //chenzi// (襯字 "filler words" which are additional words to make a more complete meaning). //Sanqu// can be further divided into //xiaoling// (小令) and //santao// (散套), with the latter comprising of more than one melody.