北朝末期開始，揚雄在學界的地位漸趨下坡。此後，不僅他的哲學思想備受譏疵，連他的文學作品亦遭鄙夷。只要提到揚雄，絕大多數人心中浮起的第一個印象就是模仿，全然不曾反省：一個模仿專家何以竟能享譽近六個世紀? 近年雖有某些學術工作者持異議，但說服力都相當單薄，竊以為：主要原因出在未嘗仔細解析他的賦作，真正洞察其絕倫之處，僅浮泛地就些邊緣項目大張義師。這當然與揚雄賦作用詞格外古奧有關。食物都沒有嚼爛，遑言品味手藝？這同時也就引發一項問題：這位漢賦名廚為什麼總喜歡烹調讓人不易入囗的肴饌？他難道不怕見棄俗吻麼？緣此，本文擷擇揚雄的五篇賦作，說明他在結構、視角、意象塑造、呈現手法等方面的獨到成就、秉承前賢卻不為彼等籠罩之處，兼及他的美學和創作觀，期收引玉之效。

　　　　　This paper intends to reveal Yang Hsiung's astonishing accomplishments by detailed analyzing five selective rhapsodies of his. If he did draw his inspirations from some antecessors in composing those five pieces of work, Ssu-ma Hsiang-ju actually occupied a marginal place in them, which is against the general conception of Yang Hsiang's rhapsodies. In addition, Yang Hsiang's concepts concerning compositions and the aesthetic of writings will be discussed. The former will clarify the long-term misunderstanding of the role of imitation played in his compositions, and the latter may explain the special style of his rhapsodies.