1. Epic poems are usually long.
2. Epic poems are about long and exciting journeys.
3. Epic poems are divided into books.
4. Epic poems do not follow a particular rhyme and meter.
This first statement contains characteristics of epic poems, as they are long narrative poems, they are literary works made with oral and written compositions from ancient times. Some examples are Gilgamesh and The Odyssey. It's usually an extensive and prolonged narrative in verse as it's a genre of poems.
The second statement contains one of the most important characteristics of epic poems, they told the journey of the hero with very fantastic features, they have incredible physical and mental traits. So this journey is often long as they conquer many dangerous situations in order to achieve their goal.
The third statement is another characteristic of epic poems, they are very long so they are divided into books. Usually, a single epic is divided into multiple books. One example is Homer's epics divided into 24 books.
And the final statement depends on the literary work that we are talking about. Epic poems were written in a formal, elevated style. They were sublime and with universal significance. They don't have a particular rhyme scheme. But when we are talking about the Odyssey and the Iliad they use a primary meter of Greek and Roman poetry know as <em>"dactilyc hexameter"</em> but without a rhyme scheme. So we can say that epic poems don't follow a particular rhyme but in some cases, they follow a particular meter.
