The Quatrain of Seven Steps seven strides such that Cao Pi is convinced of his innocence. Cao Zhi does so, and Cao Pi becomes so flustered with emotion that he spares his brother, although he later exacts punishment upon Cao Zhi in the form of demotion. The poem itself is written in the traditional "five-character quatrain" style and is an extended metaphor that describes the relationship of two brothers and the ill-conceived notion of one harming the other over petty squabbling. There exists two versions of the poem, one being six lines in length and the other four. The former is generally thought to be
Lüshi (poetry) Lüshi (poetry) Lüshi () refers to a specific form of Classical Chinese poetry verse form. One of the most important poetry forms of classical Chinese poetry, the "lüshi" refers to an eight-line regulated verse form with lines made up of five, six, or seven characters; thus: All "lüshi" forms are rhymed on the even lines, with one rhyme being used throughout the poem. Also, and definitionally, the tonal profile of the poem is controlled (that is, "regulated"). Although the idea of regulating the tonal pattern of poetry can be traced back to Shen Yue, the "lüshi" form did not reach