To highlight the realistic urgency and theoretical significance of appropriate control of “extent of artistic expression”, Liu Xie chose to view it as one of the basic literary principles by “investigating the classics in terms of the system of literary criteria”. Depending upon the authority of the five classics of literary criticism, Liu was able to smoothly elevate the weight of “the extent of artistic performance” in the theoretical hierarchy of classics of literary criticism. On the other hand, however, “investigating the classics” offered him adequate flexible room to interpret the theoretical implicature of the classics. Therefore, Liu's view of “Writing has its governing system of criteria, which generates the six meanings of style” actually reflected his theoretical imagination out of his anxiety about realistic practice. So it is necessary to reshape the rich theoretical connotation as regards the close interrelation between the real implication of the statement “Writing has its governing system of criteria to follow, which generates the six meanings of style” and realistic literary practice by restoring Liu Xie's view of the issue and deconstructing his stating strategy for “investigating the classics in terms of the system of literary criteria”.

Liu Xie; WEN XIN DIAO LONG; the system of literary criteria; “transformation of the spirit of art”