Here are some contenders:
1. The Mahabharata (India): This Hindu epic is estimated to be around 1.8 million words, making it the longest epic poem in the world.
2. The Ramayana (India): This epic is around 24,000 verses, significantly shorter than the Mahabharata but still considered a very lengthy epic poem.
3. The Shahnameh (Persian): This epic poem by Ferdowsi, written in the 10th and 11th centuries, has around 60,000 verses and covers Persian mythology and history.
4. The Kalevala (Finnish): This epic poem, compiled in the 19th century, has over 22,000 lines and tells the story of the Finnish people.
5. The Odyssey (Greek): This epic poem by Homer is around 12,000 lines long, focusing on the journey of Odysseus after the Trojan War.
So, what is the "second longest" depends on which epic poems you include and how you measure length (words, verses, lines). However, The Ramayana and The Shahnameh are likely strong contenders for the title.