seven-character-regulated-verse-structure-and-rhyme

name	seven-character-regulated-verse-structure-and-rhyme
description	Use this skill when composing a seven-character regulated verse (七言律诗) to ensure correct structural requirements including rhyme scheme, parallelism (对仗), thematic progression, and formatting rules.

Seven-Character Regulated Verse Structure and Rhyme (七言律诗结构与韵律)

Basic Structure

A 七言律诗 consists of exactly 8 lines, each with exactly 7 characters. The 8 lines form 4 couplets:

1. 首联 (Opening Couplet): Lines 1-2 — Introduce the theme/setting
2. 颔联 (Chin Couplet): Lines 3-4 — Develop the theme (MUST use antithetical parallelism 对仗)
3. 颈联 (Neck Couplet): Lines 5-6 — Deepen or turn the theme (MUST use antithetical parallelism 对仗)
4. 尾联 (Closing Couplet): Lines 7-8 — Conclude, express emotion or resolution

Rhyme Scheme (Based on Modern Mandarin Pronunciation)

• Rhyming lines: Lines 2, 4, 6, 8 MUST rhyme with each other.
• Line 1 MAY rhyme (if using 首句入韵 form) or MAY NOT (if using 首句不入韵 form).
• All rhyming characters must share the same modern Mandarin final (韵母) — e.g., all end in -ang, or all end in -an.
• All rhyming characters MUST be 平声 (1st or 2nd tone in modern Mandarin).
• Use ONLY ONE rhyme group throughout the entire poem — no switching.

Choosing a Good Rhyme Group

Pick a rhyme group with many available characters to give yourself flexibility:

• -ang (光, 乡, 长, 伤, 荒, 霜, 疆, 方, 堂, 装, 芳...)
• -an (安, 难, 山, 还, 关, 欢, 残, 寒, 宽, 年...)
• -ing (平, 情, 声, 明, 兵, 生, 城, 宁, 营, 征...)
• -en (人, 尘, 春, 魂, 村, 存, 门, 真, 闻, 恩...)

Antithetical Parallelism (对仗) Requirements

Lines 3-4 (颔联) and Lines 5-6 (颈联) MUST exhibit 对仗:

• Corresponding characters in the two lines should be from the same grammatical/semantic category
• Examples of matching categories: number↔number, color↔color, noun↔noun, verb↔verb, direction↔direction, nature word↔nature word
• The tonal pattern of the two lines in a couplet should be opposite (this is already ensured if following the canonical tonal template)

Thematic Progression for "Peace" Theme

For a poem about war suffering and longing for peace:

1. 首联 (Lines 1-2): Set the scene — describe the devastation of war (burning villages, displaced people, broken lands)
2. 颔联 (Lines 3-4): Concrete imagery of suffering — parallel images of destruction (e.g., bones in fields / smoke over cities; widows weeping / orphans wandering)
3. 颈联 (Lines 5-6): Personal emotion / deeper reflection — parallel expressions of longing (e.g., dreaming of harvest / hoping for reunion; plowshares vs. swords)
4. 尾联 (Lines 7-8): Express the wish for peace — when will war end, longing for a peaceful world

Output Format

The file \root\poem.txt must contain:

[Title in Chinese]
[Line 1 — 7 characters]
[Line 2 — 7 characters]
[Line 3 — 7 characters]
[Line 4 — 7 characters]
[Line 5 — 7 characters]
[Line 6 — 7 characters]
[Line 7 — 7 characters]
[Line 8 — 7 characters]

• Title on the first line (no punctuation needed, or with 《》 brackets)
• Exactly 8 subsequent lines, each with exactly 7 Chinese characters
• No punctuation within the poem lines (or traditional Chinese punctuation only — comma after character 4 and period at end are acceptable but not required)
• No blank lines between poem lines