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The civil strife towards the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty gave the jian ' an poems their characteristic solemn yet heart-stirring tone, while lament over the ephemerality of life was also a central theme of works from this period.

In terms of the history of Chinese literature, the jian ' an poems were a transition from the early folksongs into scholarly poetry.

One of the representative works by Wang Can is the Poem of Seven Sorrows ( 七哀诗 ), a five-character poem lamenting the suffering of the people during the years of war.

Wang Chan also wrote a history book called Records of Heroes ( 英雄記 ).