東漢中後期經學雖臻全盛,但因士子多利祿之心,因此自安帝攬政後,薄於藝文,儒風便開始寖衰;至順帝時章句漸疏,多以浮華相尚,儒者之風衰矣,是為經學衰微時期。於是一向深受儒家詩教影響,並繼承〈雅〉、〈頌〉傳統的四言詩,逐漸擺脫儒教傳統窠臼,陸續出現了抒發情感或發揮老莊思想的說理作品,當時很多的作家都在作品中流露出反傳統的思想,這些作品,對魏晉四言詩產生了極深遠的影響,例如張衡的〈怨詩〉、秦嘉的〈贈婦詩〉,以及曹操的〈短歌行〉等抒情性質的四言詩,開啟了王粲〈贈蔡子篤詩〉、嵇康〈幽憤詩〉等抒情言志的四言詩之先河;再如仲長統的〈見志詩〉二首闡述老莊思想的四言詩,也為嵇康及兩晉玄理四言詩開闢了先路;此外,秦嘉的〈述婚詩〉、桓麟、蔡邕等的四言「贈答詩」,也都成為魏晉時期各種「應酬贈答詩」、「宴會詩」等應用性質四言詩的前驅。
The mid- to latter half of the Eastern Han period marked the decline of Confucianism. The style of writing during this time gradually departed from the traditional set pattern of the Confucianist teachings, and were replaced by the 'Si Yan Shi' (four-character poem), which centered on expressive emotions or the Laozi and Zhuangzi philosophies. These themes were radically different from the traditional views at the time, and greatly influenced the poetry during the Wei-Jin period.