qiyan-lvshi-composition

name	qiyan-lvshi-composition
description	Structural, syntactical, and tonal rules for composing a seven-character regulated verse (七言律诗).

Seven-Character Regulated Verse (七言律诗) Composition Rules

A seven-character regulated verse is a highly structured form of classical Chinese poetry. To compose one correctly, strictly adhere to the following constraints:

1. Line and Character Count

• Total Lines: Exactly 8 lines.
• Characters per Line: Exactly 7 characters per line.
• File Formatting: When saving to a file, line 1 is strictly the Title. Lines 2 through 9 must contain the 8 lines of the poem, one line of poetry per document line.

2. Rhyme Scheme (押韵)

• The even-numbered lines (lines 2, 4, 6, and 8) must rhyme.
• The first line may optionally rhyme (this is very common). Lines 3, 5, and 7 do not rhyme.
• The rhyme must use the exact same vowel ending/rhyme category throughout the entire poem.

3. Parallelism (对仗)

Strict grammatical and thematic parallelism is required in the middle two couplets:

• Line 3 and Line 4 (颔联 - Jaw Couplet): Must be parallel.
• Line 5 and Line 6 (颈联 - Neck Couplet): Must be parallel.
• Parallelism rules: Nouns must align with nouns, verbs with verbs, adjectives with adjectives, colors with colors, etc. The structural meaning of the paired lines should contrast or complement each other harmoniously.

4. Tonal Patterns (平仄)

Every character in the poem must follow a strict pattern of Level (Ping/平) and Oblique (Ze/仄) tones.

• Rule of Flexibility: "一三五不论，二四六分明" — The 1st, 3rd, and 5th characters of a line are generally flexible (can be Ping or Ze), but the 2nd, 4th, and 6th characters are strictly fixed. The 7th character is strictly fixed by the rhyme scheme.

Standard Template (Example: Ze-starting, first line rhyming): (Note: Parentheses indicate flexible positions) Line 1: (仄)仄 平 平(仄)仄平 [Rhyme] Line 2: (平)平(仄)仄 仄 平平 [Rhyme] Line 3: (平)平(仄)仄 平 平仄 Line 4: (仄)仄 平 平(仄)仄平 [Rhyme] Line 5: (仄)仄(平)平 平 仄仄 Line 6: (平)平(仄)仄 仄 平平 [Rhyme] Line 7: (平)平(仄)仄 平 平仄 Line 8: (仄)仄 平 平(仄)仄平 [Rhyme]