The term originally refers to the texture of muscle, and later by extension it

refers to well-organized principles in things. As a literary term, it was first used

by Weng Fanggang, a Qing-dynasty scholar, to refer to two aspects: yili (义理

reasoning) and wenli (文理 structure). The former is about views or reasoning,

primarily concerning Confucian thinking and learning expressed in poetry;

whereas the latter represents texture of poetry, especially poetic structures,

metrical schemes and rhythms, and other techniques of writing. Scholars of

the Xingling School (School of Inner Self ) of the Ming and Qing dynasties

advocated rejecting dogmatic guidelines and expressing one's emotions and

thoughts in literary works, while adherents of the Shenyun School (School

of Elegant Subtlety) believed in subtlety and implicitness expressed through

poetry. Criticizing both literary trends, Weng promoted the principles and

techniques of the Song-dynasty poetry. In terms of yili, he emphasized the

need to follow classical Confucian tradition and erudition. In terms of wenli,

he advocated exquisite intricacy, attention to details, and graceful structures

with a great many variations, as well as the need to convey a substantive

message. During the reign of Emperor Qianlong and Emperor Jiaqing of the

Qing Dynasty, a boom in the study of Confucian classics and textual research

led to the emergence of the Jili School (School of Reasoning and Structure).

Weng advocated integration of form and content in poetry, thus promoting the

development of poetry based on classic learning. However, his overemphasis on

classic scholarliness in poetry was criticized by scholars of both his age and later

generations.