在西周時期詩與樂舞結合起來,成為儀式的重要組成部分。這一時期詩的傳播呈現儀式的一致性。由西周儀式中歌詩發展到春秋時期的賦詩,詩的儀式性逐漸淡化,文本意義逐漸凸顯。詩的傳播經歷了由重儀式到重文本的轉變過程。在春秋賦詩中,詩儀式一致性逐漸解體,而文本的一致性尚未產生。這導致了關于詩文本意義的多義性解讀,從而使得詩所承載的西周宗法觀念與文德武功思想面臨傳承上的斷裂危險,恰恰是賦詩中遵循的"賦詩觀志""歌詩必類"等原則,暫時承擔了文化傳承的責任。直至孔、孟為代表的儒家對詩文本進行經典化闡釋,詩變為《詩經》,形成了詩的文本一致性,保障了中華文化的一致性傳承。

In the Western Zhou Dynasty,poetry,music and dance were combined to become an important part of rituals. The spreading of poetry in this period is consistent with rituals. The rituality of poetry gradually faded and its textual value grew as poetry in the Western Zhou ceremony became verse in the Spring and Autumn period. The spreading of poetry shifted from rituality to textuality. In Spring and Autumn poetry,the consistency between poetry and ceremony began to disintegrate,but the consistency between poetry and text had not yet emerged. This situation led to multiple interpretations to the meaning of the texts of poetry; therefore,the inheritance of Western Zhou patriarchal thought,ethics and governance as carried by poetry might be endangered. It is thought such as "poetry as an expression of intent"and"songs and poems as an expression true meaning"that takes on the responsibility of cultural inheritance. In the classical interpretations to texts of poetry by Confucianists as represented by Confucius and Mencius,poetry was textualized into Shijing,known as Book of Songs,the consistency between poetry and texts was formally established,thus facilitating cultural inheritance.