The tonal patterns modeled on tunes drawn from folk songs or other music.
Often the poetry could be humorous as is the following anonymous lyric: The seams have come unstitched, All falling apart, the leather is ruined.
I dare not swagger, But only take half-steps; Fearing stones like wolves’ teeth, Stairs like turtles’ backs.
This poetry was strongly influenced by the linguistics of vernacular or semi-vernacular Classical Chinese.
[clarification needed] In terms of historical transmission to modern times, textual problems abound and, this has perhaps contributed to the paucity of translations of a truly significant Chinese literary genre that expanded the limits of literary expression.