as early as the 17th century, the form's adoption was blamed for the decline of classical poetry and prose during the ming dynasty. the critic wu qiao wrote that "people exhausted themselves on the eight-legged essay, and poetry was only composed with their spare energy." writing at the same time, the political theorist and philosopher huang zongxi echoed these sentiments. also, the essay did not allow for any personal opinion and was completely impartial. as a result, it led to the gradual narrowing of people's innovative thinking and consequently their minds, thus achieving a constraining effect on chinese people and the nation. the eight-legged essay has been associated with the "petrification in chinese literature" and "china's cultural stagnation and economic backwardness."