孔子論學《詩》言「《詩》可以興」，此「興」歷來大致有「起也」、「感興」、「比興」三種解釋，這三說從不同的層面反映了孔子此說的義涵，我們可以從幾方面來加以考察。其一就孔子論說的思想背景與理論基礎而言，其二就《論語》中的「興」義而言，其三，就孔子及先秦人對「興」義的實踐而言，發現此三說確實具有內、外的密切關係。後世對興義的界定，亦主要是從此三說不斷錯綜、延伸和發展而來的，將「興」義向詩藝手法上拓展了一大步。綜合後世對「興」義的界定，亦可以由經學與文學的角度、取義與不取義的角度、主動與被動的角度來觀察其發展變化的情形，對「興」義的探討，已逐漸從詩歌內容上對社會政治意義的求解，進入詩歌藝術審美的觀照，觸及了「興」與詩歌形象、韻味、情感等關係，眾多紛紜論說的融合，即充分地闡釋了「興」的豐富義涵。

　　　　　Confucius commented "Book of Odes" and thought that "Book of Odes" may urge to compose poems. The word "inspiration" has three meanings: insistence, inducement, simply and metaphor expressions which can be marked on the different meaning levels of Confucius' thought. We can study them on three aspects: firstly Confucius' essays and critics reflected this thoughts depth and width as well as their theoretical basis; secondly the means of "inspiration" in the "Confucian Analects", thirdly the execution and fulfillment conditions of inducement urges to compose poems and inspired in the mood or having a sudden inspiration for writing poems. We explored these three thoughts and found their interior and exterior relations. Many different definitions of this word "inspiration" developed complex, various and diversity means on the later time and broadened horizons of the poetry field. To sum up, the definition of "inspiration" of "Book of Odes" on later time, has been trended to the classics and literary levels, meaningful and non-meaningful expressions as well as on the positive and passive point of views to observe. The exploration of "inspiration" was step by step understood on the context of "Book of Odes", entered into poetic, artistic and aesthetic point of views, touched and connected the image of the "inspiration" in the field of poetry, poetic verse style and expression feelings. Due to various opinions, comments and researches, they harmonized, reflected and brought back as a result for a long time, and thus obtained rich and abundant meanings of "inspiration" of "Book of Odes".