吳訥身處在〈詩大序〉、《文心雕龍》、朱熹、《文章正宗》、《古賦辨體》的詩學脈絡，以及《文選》、《唐文粹》、《宋文鑑》、《元文類》以降的文體分類批評傳統中，這些歷史文化傳統經由吳訥的涵泳、轉化，形成《文章辨體》在辨體時的期待視域與辨體原則，具體表現在「形構辨體」及「情志辨體」等兩種辨體論述中，「形構辨體」又可細分為「體製辨體」與「語藝辨體」，「情志辨體」則可細分為「世教辨體」與「情意辨體」。

Wu Na was influenced by the critique, such as the ideas of poetry described in Preface of Poetry, Wen Xom Diao Long (a literary critique), Wen Zhang Zheng Zhong (official documents) and the Textual Concepts in Ancient Odes as well as the thoughts of Zhu Xi and Wen Xuen (selections of refined literature), Tang Wen Cui (the anthology of the Tang), Song Wen Jian (poetry of the North Song) and Yuan Wen Lei (poetry of the Yuan); however, the historical and cultural tradition is transformed into his perceptions, principles and narrations in formation and sensation of textual concepts. The textual concepts of formation are divided into system and rhetoric and textual concepts of sensation are divided into orthodoxy and emotion.