作為現今中文學界的散文大家之一，顏崑陽的散文書寫中，充斥著根深蒂固的鄉愁與土地的認同問題。究觀其整體的鄉土書寫，歷經前後三個階段的發展：從年輕時的浪漫、唯美，青壯時期的現實反省，到中年之後異鄉客的身份與在地性的凝視。顏氏鄉愁的召喚與土地的認同書寫，隨著不同階段創作理路的演進，呈顯出更深刻與切進其生命哲學的豐富樣態，並逐漸轉化為對土地認同與生命安在的辯證性思考。這之中有其個人獨特的生命遭遇，時代造就的飄泊與落葉無根，亦有現代都市對人性及土地意識的輾壓和扭曲，綜合地呈顯出一首現代人的失鄉賦曲。

As one of the prose masters in the modern Chinese literature field, Kuen- yang Yan’s writing works were full of deep-rooted nostalgia and issues of territory identification. His localism writing went through three phases: the romantic phase in his early youth, the realistic and retrospect phase in his youth, and the phase of localism and view points from the foreign land. Yan’s nostalgia and localism writing about territory identification evolved as he stepped onto different life stage. It showed deep and varied life philosophy, and transformed into dialectical thoughts about territory identification and the peace of the living. His writing works contented his unique life experiences—college days as a homeless traveler, and press and twist of humanity and sense of territory from the modern city—presenting a modern ballad about lost of homeland.