An epic poem is a long poem of adventures. A few examples of epics are The Odyssey and the Illiad. Also, the Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic. In each of these epics a hero is called to complete an adventure or journey. He leaves home in order to accomplish his goal and along the way must overcome a variety of obstacles. There are many character versus character conflicts, but often the biggest conflict is one in which the main character must make an important decision. It's at this point the climax has been reached and the character discovers something about himself. Often in an epic the character returns home a better person than when he left.
