子日：「興於詩，立於禮，成於樂。」（《論語•泰伯》）本章指出詩、禮、樂三者在成德方面所居之重要地位。孔子以仁立教，詩之興發，禮之立身，樂之和樂，皆所以成就仁心之圓滿體現。然綜觀諸家對本章之詮解，尚未盡其全蘊，有待進一步之分疏。《三百篇》之詩皆純正無邪，學者諷誦之久，薰陶既深，心志隨之生發活潑，此實進德之基，是謂「興於詩」。孔子綜合融攝前人談禮之精義，以恭敬之心與合度之行以言禮，使學者養成－堅定自立之道德人格，是謂「立於禮」。儒家之樂教，在經由雅樂之欣賞與彈奏，以諧和性情，齊同眾志；然禮主敬而樂主和，二者須相輔相成，而後能敬而不與人相離，和而不至於流蕩。因詩教而使心志生發活潑，此見生命之純真；因禮教而使人格堅定自立，此見生命之善良；因樂教而使性情諧和安樂，此見生命之優美。純真、善良與優美互相融攝，而表現於個體中者，則是一從容自得、活潑暢快之生命情調，此即是仁者之生命。在仁者德慧之觀照下，萬物可喜可愛，生機無限；天地、物我一體而化，只是仁心潤物之如如流行，而呈現至高之諧和，即此便是人生至樂之所在。此一化境，乃儒家德教之圓成，是謂「成於樂」。

Confucius said, "To prosper with poems, stand with manners, and accomplish with music". Chinese literature [Lun Yu•Taibo] section pointed out poem, manners and music are three major elements to achieve morality. Confucius taught with benevolence, developed with poems, stood with manners, and entertained with music. Therefore, he was able to bring and show his kindness to life in full. However, annotations to this Chapter from all those different parties still cannot fully explain it; we should make further explanation and classification. Poems in Chinese Poem Collection [San-Bai-Pien] are pure and ingenuous. Scholars have been appraised and studied it for quite a long time. When one is nurtured with such pure art, his mind will become vivacious, and that develops a basis for further morality accomplishments; this is "to prosper with poems". The Confucius combined and integrated essences of manners from predecessors and, with sincere heart and appropriate behaviors, educated scholars to have firm and independent moral characteristics. This is "to stand with manners". Implementation of music education in Confucian theory emphasizes on music appreciation and play to harmonize personal characteristics and hold together the society. However, manners attach importance to respects and music is more focused on harmonious; those two areas should complement each other so that in a later time, people can respect others but not aloof, people can be homogenous, but not profligate. Poems educate people to be vivacious; from here we can see the innocence of life. Manners educate people to be firm and independent; from here we can see the gentleness of life. Music educates people to be harmonious; from here we can see the grace of life. If innocence, gentleness and grace can be integrated and presented in one's life, this one should be calm, self-complacent and vivacious, deeming life of a benevolent man. From the benevolent man's point of view, all things under the sun are gratifying, lovable, and with infinite vitality. When the sky, earth, creations and human beings can blend together and humanity nourish all things under the sun to present the highest harmonious, this will create the ultimate happiness of life. That is also referred as the consummation of morality, also called "to accomplish with music".