Studies of the Xikun School of poetry in the early Song Dynasty, and members of the School, have enjoyed a resurgence since the 1980s. Many of these studies focused on YanS hu(991—1055) and his connection with the School. Most researchers regarded him as an important member of the School. Based on his life, his literary turn of mind, and his expressed views, this study reinitiates a thorough and close reading of Yan Shu's existent poems. By exploring his remarkably diverse styles, I have identified the literary styles he drew from several earlier poets, such as Tao Yuanming and Wei Yingwu. I have concluded that Yan Shu integrated these literary influences into his poems, and that these influences distinguished him from other members of the Xikun School. Thus Yan Shu initiated stylistic changes in early Song Dynasty poetry, and played an important role in the transitional period of Chinese classic poetry from Tang to Song.