Abstract: In the Western Zhou Dynasty, poetry, music and dance were combined to become an important part of rituals. The spreading of poetry in this period is consistent with rituals. The rituality of poetry gradually faded and its textual value grew as poetry in the Western Zhou ceremony became verse in the Spring and Autumn period. The spreading of poetry shifted from rituality to textuality. In Spring and Autumn poetry, the consistency between poetry and ceremony began to disintegrate, but the consistency between poetry and text had not yet emerged. This situation led to multiple interpretations to the meaning of the texts of poetry; therefore, the inheritance of Western Zhou patriarchal thought, ethics and governance as carried by poetry might be endangered. It is thought such as "poetry as an expression of intent" and "songs and poems as an expression true meaning" that takes on the responsibility of cultural inheritance. In the classical interpretations to texts of poetry by Confucianists as represented by Confucius and Mencius, poetry was textualized into Shijing, known as Book of Songs, the consistency between poetry and texts was formally established, thus facilitating cultural inheritance.

Key words: Book of Songs, ceremony, text, verse of the Spring and Autumn period, classical interpretation