曹丕的「詩賦欲麗」一語，向被學者視為「文學自覺」的推手。然而中國人稱詩賦為「麗」，並非始於曹丕，西漢的揚雄在《法言‧吾子》裡，早就寫道：「詩人之賦麗以則，辭人之賦麗以淫。」再者，「詩賦」雖被曹丕列在四科八體之末，卻與「章奏」、「書論」、「銘誄」同樣被視為「經國之大業，不朽之盛事｣的「文」。況且，曹丕站在統治者的立場，理當不能排斥或反對以文維護名教的實用立場。因此，「詩賦欲麗」一語只可謂之到達「語言自覺」程度而已，與「文學自覺」境界相去甚遠。此外，曹丕的「詩賦欲麗」一語，不但指出了「麗」是賦的特性，也避開了「麗以則」或「麗以淫」的爭端，從而也顯示了他深受當代辭采華麗風氣的影響外，也表現出他對詩賦創作內容的開放心態。
Cao Pi said: ”Poetry and ode must be euphuistical.” This saying has been always regarded by scholars as the impetus to the literature consciousness. But before Cao Pi, Yang Xiong had written in his book ”The ode of a poet is euphuistical to conform to the law, the ode of a rhetorician is euphuistical to be excessively boastful.” What is more, poetry and ode which was arrayed in the end of so called ”four categories of literary works” was whereas looked upon by Cao Pi as the ”great course to manage a country and grand event to be imperishable” along with memorial and report, letter and essay, tablet and eulogy. Besides, in the position of the dynast, Cao Pi was naturally incapable of opposing the assertion of using literal works to maintain the body of teachings on social relationships. The word that poetry and ode must be euphuistical therefore just arrived at the grade of ”language consciousness” and still stayed far away from the realm of ”literature consciousness”. In addition, the word that poetry and ode must be euphuistical did not only point out that euphuism is the characteristic of poetry and ode but also avoided discussing whether poetry and ode should be ”euphuistical to conform to the law” or ”euphuistical to be excessively boastful”. It thereby showed how Cao Pi was influenced by the climate of euphuism in his age, and also manifested his exoteric mind to the creating contents of poetry and ode.
