This literary term is used in poetry to comment on a ruler's moral character,

policies, decrees, and performance, either in praise or criticism. Confucius

was the first to point out that poetry could be used to vent resentment and

thus established a basic function of poetry writing by emphasizing the role

The Book of Songs played in voicing grievances. In the Han Dynasty, however,

poetry tended to be used as a vehicle for extolling the accomplishments and

virtues of rulers. In "Preface to Mao's Version of The Book of Songs" and "Preface

to On the Categories of The Book of Songs," two influential writings on theory

of poetry published during the Han Dynasty, extolment and satirical criticism

was regarded as an underlying principle of poetic criticism. This principle was

widely employed by poets and writers of later generations as a way of getting

involved in politics and making their impact on the society. This constituted a

fundamental function and an essential feature of Chinese literature.