《南史·列传·卷五十》
 我既然在写文章方面很笨拙，不敢轻易地有所指责，只是以当代的作品，依次与古代的才士相比，远有杨、马、曹、王，近有潘、陆、颜、谢，看他们的遣词用心，全不相似。
吾既拙于爲文，不敢轻有掎摭，但以当世之作，历方古之才人，远则杨、马、曹、王，近则潘、陆、顔、谢，观其遣辞用心，了不相似。
As I am slow-witted and unassertive, I dare not lightly express censure. I merely juxtapose contemporary works with ancient classics, starting with Yang Xiong, Sima Xiangru, Cao Zhi, and Wang Can, and moving up to the more recent Pan Yue, Lu Ji, Yan Yanzhi, and Xie Lingyun. Each period had its own vocabulary and ideas, and none of them closely resembled any other.