Cao Pi's Dian Lun is a political and cultural monograph. The whole book probably died in the Song Dynasty, and only the Self-report and Essays are relatively complete. On the canon. Thesis is an early literary monograph in the history of literary criticism in China and an important document in the history of literary criticism in Han and Wei Dynasties. It discusses the attitude of literary criticism, the writer's personality and the style of his works, the difference between styles and the value of literature. The "Wen" mentioned here is an article in a broad sense, including literary works, which involves several very important issues in literary criticism. Although a little rough, it occupies an important position in the history of literary criticism.
First of all, it is worth noting that it attaches importance to the value of literature: "building articles, governing the country, and immortal events." The years of life sometimes come to an end, and glory stops there. Both will reach a normal period, not endless articles. "Ancient Confucianism had the theory of" Three Immortals ",and one of them was" Li Yan "(see Zuo Zhuan). But this mainly refers to political and ethical works, which has little to do with literature. Cao Pi's "articles" include poems and fu. In fact, literature, especially lyric literature, is hard to say what is a "great cause of statecraft", but Cao Pi's promotion of literature to an equal position with traditional classics is of course meaningful to the prosperity of literature.