余光中的作品，題材廣闊，包括愛情、親情、山水、田園、社會、政治等等。可以冠他以種種稱號，包括鄉愁詩人、鄉土詩人。他對台灣鄉土事物的書寫，始於1950年代。1972年的〈車過材寮〉正式宣示了他對台灣的鄉土之情。1985年起他居於高雄，笠年初發表了〈讓春天從高雄出發〉，以高雄人自豪。一個多月後發表〈控訴一枝煙囪〉，聲討空氣污染。自此之後，二十年來，余光中的鄉土詩有數十首，或歌頌雪山、玉山、大尖山等的壯麗，或吟詠甘蔗、蓮霧、荔枝等之甘美；墾丁公園的瀑布、西子灣的落日，在詩人的豐盈想像之中，折射出哲理與居民情。余光中這些詠山水、水果的鄉土詩，與一般寫實主義鄉土詩的「平白」不同。余詩勝在奇美，且有學者味，可說是「學者鄉土詩」。本文並嘗試為鄉土文學下定義，又指出；很多台灣鄉土文學寫的是鄉土之「窮」. .鄉土被內部或外來的惡勢力所傷害；余光中寫的多是鄉土之「達」：山水風物的壯美可愛

Yu Guangzhong (1928-) is an extremely versatile poet writing with various artistic skills and dealing with various subject-matters, among which is Taiwan. He started composing poems related to Taiwan as early as the 1950s, just a few years after he settled down on this island. His ＂Passing Fangliao＂ (1972) marks the beginning of Yu as a xiangtu (native region) poet. Mter about ten years teaching in Hong Kong, he moved to Gaoxiong in 1985. In less than half a year, he wrote ＂Let Spring Set off from Gaoxiong,＂ signifying his pride as a resident of this second-largest city in Taiwan. A month of so later, his ＂Accusing a Factory Chimney＂ was published, attacking air polution in the city. Since then Yu has written dozens of xiangtu poems extolling the grandeur and beauty of Taiwan landscapes; he also praises the sweet and lovely Taiwan fruits which are in abundance. These works come with his rich poetic imagination and deep reflections on life. Yu's xiangtu poetry differs from that penned by many others in art and learning. Yu's may be labeled ＂scholar's xiangtu poetry.＂ In this article the author has given a working definition for xiangtu literature which has been quite a controversial term