Speech and writing come from feelings and thoughts. This concept is used by Liu Xie (465?-520? or 532? ) of the Southern Dynasties to explain the origin of literary creation in The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons. It suggests that feelings and thoughts are the sources of language and all literary creation as well. Only when imbued with true feelings and thoughts will writers be able to produce good prose and poetry. It reflects ancient Chinese people’s emphasis on the inner world of writers as creative subjects. Liu Xie also makes it clear that the process whereby words come from the heart is natural rather than artificial.

Man stands out among all species and is the essence and soul of the world. In the natural course of events, the desire to express man’s inner self leads to the emergence of language, which in turn gives rise to literary creation. Liu Xie: The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons

All music originates in people’s hearts. Feelings arise in people’s hearts as a result of external impact. The Book of Rites