Gao Qi's poetic theory consists of one general standard and three specific concerns. The general standard for a great poet is to be well-rounded and versatile. The three specific concerns are listed according to their priority. The first and foremost concern of poetry is ge (form), yi(will), and qu (taste). What follows are secondary component of poetry: sheng (prosody) and yan (language). In terms of the source and function, he emphasized the importance of travelling across the landscape, as well as the autobiographical and archiving function of poetry. His poetic theory was not only tethered to the legacy of Yan Yu and Chan Buddhism, but also his personality, and his experience of being a recluse and official. In the history of poetry and poetics of the Yuan and Ming dynasties, Gao Qi's poetic theory, by deriving from the golden age of the Tang dynasty, which he took as a model, had a profound effect on the reversal of the florid poetic style of the late Yuan dynasty and the evolution of poetic theory in the Ming dynasty.