七步之才
Genius Within Seven Paces
Meaning
The gift of composing a poem within seven paces — dazzling literary genius under pressure.
Origin story
Cao Zhi, son of Cao Cao, was a prodigy from whose brush poetry simply poured — once even favored as heir, which made him a thorn in his brother Cao Pi’s side. Having taken the throne, Cao Pi one day commanded: "Compose a poem within seven paces, or face heavy punishment." Cao Zhi walked and recited: beanstalks burn to boil the beans, and the beans weep in the pot — "Born of the very same root, why boil me with such haste?" The poem, casting fratricide as beans cooked over their own stalks, is said to have shamed the emperor into silence. From it comes "the talent of seven paces."
Source: Shishuo Xinyu — Literature (the Seven-Pace Poem)
People
Modern examples
- In the freestyle battle he showed seven-pace genius, verses on demand.
- Every curveball question got a brilliant answer on the spot — poetry within seven paces.