陳世驤在〈中國的抒情傳統〉諸文中指稱：中國文學相較於西方偏於史詩與戲劇之傳統，可稱為一種抒情的傳統，作品以表達作者內在的自我為主。此說流行後，經過不少學者的推衍、引申，現已成為港台極具詮釋力的解釋系統，在中文研究界影響深遠。但本文認為陳先生的指認值得商榷，他基本上是以西方抒情詩為模型來看待中國詩，未注意到中西方倫理觀、人性論、詩歌理論各方面其實都有極大的差異，而且把抒情詩的特質放大了來概括整體中國文學。因此他的論述在方法、視界和思想上都大成疑難，所指稱的只是個在中國不曾存在的傳統罷了。

According to Chen Shi-xiang's articles such as “The Lyric Tradition in China”, compared with the Western tradition which focuses on epic and drama, the tradition of the Chinese literature can be called a lyric one, aiming to express the inner self of the authors. Deduced and elaborated by many scholars, this idea is prevalent and influential in the field of Chinese studies, and becomes a powerful explanatory system in Taiwan and Hong Kong. However, Mr. Chen's denomination is found doubtful, since he only treated the Chinese poetry with the model of Western lyrics, but neglected the notable differences of ethics, study of human nature, theory of poetry between China and the West. As the result, Mr. Chen exaggerated the features of lyrics and concluded the Chinese literature with them. His argument therefore is questionable in methodology, point of view and ideology, and what he denominated is a tradition which never exists in China.