綜觀漢初四言詩，依其風格可略分爲二類：一是受楚聲及樂府民歌影響者，如劉邦的〈鴻鵠歌〉、四皓的〈採芝操〉、劉章的〈耕田歌〉等三首，其內容或與政治有關，或自抒思想情感，都具有現實意義；其風格或借楚聲爲之，或具樂府民歌之色彩，其篇幅則長短不一。二是繼承《詩經》〈雅〉〈頌〉傳統者，如唐山夫人的〈安世房中歌〉、韋孟的〈諷諫詩〉、〈在鄒詩〉等，其內容雖展現了新時代的精神面貌，但力求典雅古奧與美刺傳統，因在思想上爲儒家樂教禮數所束縛著，故其特點是內容要求符合傳統，形式則以模仿《詩經》四言爲主。漢初這些四言詩歌，都對後世四言詩的發展產生了相當程度的影響，如〈鴻鵠歌〉、〈採芝操〉、〈耕田歌〉等具楚聲、樂府民歌之色彩者，其真實反映自我的思想感情的抒情寫法，就影響了東漢晚期和建安時期四言抒情詩的創作；而〈安世房中歌〉與〈諷諫詩〉等承繼《詩經》〈雅〉〈頌〉傳統的四言詩，因其將詩歌視爲是教育人們遵守禮教的工具，致使其內容思想淪爲說教化。這一現象影響了從武帝至東漢章帝經學興盛時期四言詩在內容思想上的發展。

Hu Ing-Lin (胡應麟) of the Ming Dynasty categorized 'Si Yan Shi' (poems written with four-character lines) as two types: (1) poems that are heavily influenced by the melodies of the Yuefu and folk songs; and (2) traditional poems that follow the same genres of the 'Shi Jing' (Classic of Poetry). The former represents a lyrical writing style, reflecting ideals and emotions, and influenced the development of lyrical poetry in the late Eastern Han and Chien-An period; whereas the latter influenced the period of time when the study of classics (經學) was popular. Nevertheless, both types equally influenced the development of later 'Si Yan Shi' in terms of style and content.