《奇萊後書》是楊牧於2009年出版之散文巨著，篇幅相當厚重，敘事時間承續《奇萊前書》（即1987年《山風海雨》、1991年《方向歸零》、1997年《昔我往矣》三書），然而主題卻是延續《一首詩的完成》，故這不僅是一部自傳散文，更是楊牧畢生對於詩的理念思考之整體展現，而其中尤其值得注意的，便是「抒情傳統」此一文學史的重要課題，究竟如何與中文現代詩、乃至於西方詩學相互對話、接軌？並又如何與楊牧個人詩之創作歷程相互呼應？故本文以《奇萊後書》為主要研究對象，探討楊牧如何植根於抒情傳統，並由之審思，甚而再造，以及他如何融會中、西詩學，從主觀的感官交容到追求抽象的形而上思維，最後審視詩人與社會之間的關係，而嘗試以觀念和具有創造性的、超越的想像力，以穿透現實之表象，而最終達成楊牧的所謂的「詩的真實」，乃至於「詩的完成」。

Yang Mu's "A Book of Chi-lai Ⅱ" was published in 2009. It's a masterpiece of modern Taiwanese Literature in a decade. "A Book of Chi-lai Ⅱ" is not only a biography hut also a unique work about poems and poetry. The main issue of Yang Mu' thinking and discussion is especially focused on 'lyric tradition' of Chinese classics. How is an old tradition combined with modern poetry and echoes with western literature theory? And how to reflect Yang Mu's personal writing? Through researching of "A Book of Chi-lai Ⅱ", I would like to see what is Yang Mu's viewpoint of 'lyric tradition': he questions and recreates it. I also would like to see how Yang Mu's achieves mastery through a comprehensive study of Chinese classics and Western poetry.