将五四新文化运动之前的袁枚性灵诗论研究与五四时期以及八十年代后的研究相比，可以看到这三个阶段给予袁枚性灵诗论的评价发生了巨大变化。在五四之前被批评为诗格卑下的袁枚性灵说，在五四新文化运动后的研究中被认为具有现代意义上的进步性。现代研究认为，袁枚性灵说体现了个性解放、民主启蒙和男女平等的现代精神，具有进步意义。但是，作为清代诗歌理论的袁枚性灵诗论，它真的具有这种现代性吗？这些评价符合历史真实吗？这种对古人的观念“现代化”的作法难道不应当引起我们的质疑与反思吗？本文在对各时期袁枚性灵诗说研究的比较，发现现代性观念的介入，导致不同时期研究对袁枚诗论评价发生变化。现代性观念的介入，使得袁枚性灵诗说中的某些特征被研究者加以夸大，并据以构建出了现代意义。这些研究通过对来自西方的术语与研究方法不加反省的使用，不断地将现代性的价值观念投射到袁枚性灵诗论。这种现代体在袁枚诗论体现出越来越清晰的现代特征。赋予袁枚性灵诗论在中国诗歌批评史上越来越重要和独特的历史地位。这种现象值得引起我们深刻的反思。
Comparing the poetic study of Yuan Mei in pre-1919 period with the studies both in the May Fourth Movement and from1980s until now, the assessments given by academics have changed dramatically. The Yuan Mei’s Xing Ling Theory, which had been criticized as despicable before the May Fourth Movement, was considered progressive in the modern sense in the study after the New Culture Movement. Some Modern academics suggested that Yuan Mei had presented some modern progressive spirit, such as individual liberation, democracy and gender equality. However, as a poetic theory of Qing Dynasty, did Yuan Mei’ poetry theory really have the Modern progressive nature? Did these assessments conform to reality and correspond to historical stages? Shouldn't this kind of modernization be the question and reflection of us?This paper has finds that the intervention of modernity results in the change of evaluation through the comparison of different periods. The intervention of modern concept exaggerated some features of Xing Ling Theory and resulted in the construction of modern significance. Nowadays, using the terms and the analysis method borrowed from the West without careful consideration, Yuan Mei's Poetic Theory was sustained by the reflection of modern values from these academics. Gradually, the modern form in the Yuan Mei' poetic theory presents the modern features more clearly, and the status and authority of Yuan Mei's Xing Ling Poetry Theory becomes more significant in the history of poetry criticism in China. This phenomenon deserves to be introspected profoundly, and this is what the paper specifically focuses on.
